This description has been translated and may not be completely accurate. Click here to see the original
Sculpted from sandstone finely patinated by the centuries, this bas-relief fragment comes from Rajasthan (Northwest India).
Medieval Indian art, 12th century.
High-quality sculpture, original mineral patina,
height 42 cm
It depicts the divine couple Uma-Maheshvara, that is, the goddess Parvati and the god Shiva, united in a pose of sacred intimacy. Shiva, recognizable by his tall headdress and regal bearing, embraces his consort in a gesture of gentleness and mutual contemplation.
Around them, other divine or celestial figures—musicians, apsaras, or servants—complete the scene in a hieratic balance. Each sculpted detail, each face finely incised in the stone, participates in a cosmic celebration: that of the union of the masculine and feminine principles, of consciousness and creative energy, at the heart of Shaivite spirituality.
This type of stele, found embedded in the architecture of Hindu temples, served as much for the spiritual elevation of the faithful as it did for the tangible embodiment of Indian metaphysical thought.
A work that is at once decorative, meditative, and imbued with the sacred.
You can find the Instagram Reel I created of this extraordinary piece at this link:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLnRFa7CbDf/?igsh=MW5xc25mdDhvY2kyMQ==
Ref: HJ0ZF8VRE6