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Skanda, God of War

late 6th–7th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Venerated in India as the god of war, Skanda is typically accompanied by a peacock, a bird associated with youthful fertility and swift aggression in battle. Here he sits astride his divine vehicle, the peacock’s tail feathers forming a decorative nimbus behind him. Skanda has obscure origins and probably represents a conflation of a number of Shiva myths. Inscriptions indicate that Skanda served in Cambodia as the directional guardian (dikpalaka) of the south, thus his chapel may be expected to have been so oriented, unlike in India. The figure is sculpted in high relief, with no openwork detailing—one sign of an early date.

cat. no. 98

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Skanda, God of War
  • Date: late 6th–7th century
  • Culture: Southern Cambodia
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 26 3/8 in. (67 cm); W. 18 7/8 in. (48 cm); D. 7 1/2 in. (19 cm); approx. Wt. 330.7 lbs (150 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Musée National des Arts Asiatiques–Guimet, Paris (MG14900)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art