Railing pillar with yakshi and mithuna couple

India, Bharhut, Satna district, Madhya Pradesh

ca. 150–100 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.

This railing pillar from the Great Stupa complex at Bharhut in all probability belonged to the structure’s original stone railing, which in turn likely replaced a wood version. Such upgrades were made by new generations of donors to satisfy the desire for merit—at Bodhgaya, for example, the original stone railing was carefully buried when a newer version replaced it. Here, a goddess clutches the branch of a sala tree, identified by its slender leaves, flower buds, and fruit pods. Shown heavy with fruit, the tree, together with the goddess’s body, references fecundity, a theme made explicit by an amorous couple in the lower register. The goddess wears a pendant hair ornament of a type still used by women on the Tibetan Plateau.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Railing pillar with yakshi and mithuna couple
Period: Shunga
Date: ca. 150–100 BCE
Culture: India, Bharhut, Satna district, Madhya Pradesh
Medium: Sandstone
Dimensions: H. 58 in. (147.3 cm); W. 11 in. (27.9 cm); D. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Lent by The Norton Simon Foundation, Pasadena
Curatorial Department: Asian Art