South Asia, India, ca. 11th to 15th century CE. A lovely brown sandstone carving of a woman standing upright with her hands clasped before her waist. She is carved in high relief from a rectangular panel, with faint forms of additional figures, attributes or other forms slightly recessed to her sides. Visible from her thighs up, she faces forward with a skirt around her waist, and breasts bare, her pleated hair falling past shoulders, a large necklace, and a crown or headdress upon her head suggests a deity such as Parvati. The weathered surface of this piece suggests that this goddess panel was part of an exterior to a temple or shrine and has withstood a great length of time. Parvati is the goddess of fruitfulness, love, and beauty- often portrayed as a young and beautiful woman, she also symbolizes divine strength and power. Size: 6" L x 4" W x 10.5" H (15.2 cm x 10.2 cm x 26.7 cm); 12" H (30.5 cm) on included custom stand.

Parvati is traditionally understood as the consort of Shiva and is usually presented as a beautiful woman with no superfluous limbs, as we see in this example. At first Parvati, like most female deities (shakti), was viewed as a minor deity; however, between the 5th and 13th centuries, Parvati became a subject of worship in her own right rather than a mere consort to a male deity, with temples erected in her honor. It was at this time that Parvati became a major deity known as Durga and Kali.

Provenance: Whisnant Gallery, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA acquired prior to 2000

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#169988

Fragment of a panel from the legs up. Softening and weathering of details from age and exposure.