Uma-Maheshvara, a seated Shiva and Parvati (Uma) / Artist Unknown, India, Bengal

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Record Details

Accession Number
1964/2.85
Title
Uma-Maheshvara, a seated Shiva and Parvati (Uma)
Artist Nationality
Indian
Medium and Support
bronze
Object Creation Date
12th century
Object Creation Place
Asia (continent)
India (nation)
West Bengal (state)
Creation Place 1
Asia (continent)
Creation Place 2
India (nation)
Creation Place 3
West Bengal (state)
Dimensions
12.5 cm x 9.5 cm x 6.3 cm (4 15/16 in. x 3 3/4 in. x 2 1/2 in.)
Century
12th century
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Primary Object Type
figure
Secondary Object Classification
Ritual Objects
Secondary Object Type
figure
Physical Description
Shiva sits with his consort on a double lotus pedestal. He has six arms, his right three are in varada mudra [a giving gesture], holds a rosary and an arrow. His left arms cup his consorts left breast and hold a lotus flower and a bow. He sits in royal ease, with one leg pendant. He wears bracelets, armlets, necklaces, earrings, and a sacred thread that stretches form his left shoulder down past his waist. On his head he wears an elaborate jatamukuta, a crown interlaced with his matted locks. Parvati sits upon his knee with one leg tucked under her and the other pendant. She is also adorned with jewelry, but wears a more modest diadem at the front of her head.
Subject Matter
To complement Shiva’s character as an ascetic, he is also a husband and lover. His consort is known by various names, in this case as Parvati, the daughter of the Himalaya. Both the Pala dynasty in the northeast and the Cola dynasty in the south developed sophisticated traditions of bronze sculpture featuring this ideal couple. In this small but exquisite bronze from the northeast, the artist depicts Shiva and Parvati in animated and intimate conversation.
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
587 x 603
File Size
35 KB
Record
1964/2.85
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1964-sl-2.85/1964_2.85.jpg

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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1964-SL-2.85:1964_2.85.JPG

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"Uma-Maheshvara, a seated Shiva and Parvati (Uma); Artist Unknown, India, Bengal." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1964-sl-2.85/1964_2.85.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 30, 2024.
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