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Yakshi

mid-2nd century BCE
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
One of the greatest early stupas in ancient Andhra to feature personified lotus-offering female nature spirits (yakshis) was Amaravati. The yakshi seen here formed part of the first sculptural program to embellish Amaravati's Great Stupa, executed around 150 to 100 BCE. The figure, sculpted in shallow relief on a limestone panel, has a startling quietude and grace. She faces left, and likely held a lotus bloom, now missing, the quintessential Buddhist offering. Such figures honored the presence of the Buddha, at this time only represented in symbolic form, as a throne or footprints, and often guarded by a rearing cobra. Depictions from other early stupa sites show yakshis standing atop mythical creatures, such as makaras, affirming their identity as nature-spirit personifications.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Yakshi
  • Period: Early Satavahana
  • Date: mid-2nd century BCE
  • Culture: India, Amaravati Great Stupa, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh
  • Medium: Limestone
  • Dimensions: Visible overall: H. 31 in. (78.7 in.); W. 16 in. (40.6 cm); D. 5 in. (12.7 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Archaeological Museum ASI, Amaravati, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photo by Theirry Ollivier
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art