Day 102 - Roundel


November 14, 2018

Gallery 236 contains some Gandharan objects, but the preponderance of the works come from the Gupta period (4th-6th century C.E.) and as such, according to a placard on the wall, represent codifications of the ways in which Buddhist and Hindu figures traditionally came to be represented.

Today's object is a terracotta roundel, perhaps 5 inches in diameter, which shows a Hindu deity racing through the air while holding his consort. The caption says that that the figures are "probably Shiva and Parvati," although I am not sure what attributes enable this identification, outside of his flowing hair. 

I'm not utterly in love with the piece -- the background of the figures, adorned with lotuses (?) and vines, seems cluttered. But I'm wowed by the swirling energy of Shiva, whose curved form fits the rounded plaque perfectly, and by the tenderness with which he holds his lover. The fleshy torsos and limbs - and her huge breasts - make the figures sing of India to me.

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