Dvarapala (temple guardian; pair with 1980/2.291) / Artist Unknown, India, Kerala Workshop
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1980/2.290
- Title
- Dvarapala (temple guardian; pair with 1980/2.291)
- Artist Nationality
- Indian
- Medium and Support
- wood
- Object Creation Date
- 15th century
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- India (nation)
- Kerala (state)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- India (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- Kerala (state)
- Dimensions
- 131 cm x 53 cm x 31 cm (51 9/16 in. x 20 7/8 in. x 12 3/16 in.)
- Century
- 15th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Sculpture
- Primary Object Type
- figure
- Physical Description
- The two-armed figure dances with his right leg raised and wrapped around a club. His left arm crosses his body and rests above the club and his right hand is raised almost to his ear. Tassels hang from him hips and under his armpits adding a great sense of movement to the whole figure. Multi-hooded snakes are at the base and also around the bottom of the club. He wears much of jewelry including bracelets, anklets, necklaces with should loops and an elaborate belt. His stomach protrudes over the belt. He also has large earrings and a jewel encrusted crown. His eyes bulge out and his mouth is open showing his teeth. He is a pair with 1980/2.291.
- Subject Matter
- Dvarapala means the guardian of a door and were usually produced in pairs, meant to flank the entrance to a temple or to a shrine. The horrific nature of the figure implies that this and its mate were made for a Shaiva temple, one dedicated to the god Shiva.
- Secondary Keywords
- associated concepts
- buildings and the land
- figures
- hinduism
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- people and occupations
- people by activity
- religions
- religions and religious concepts
- religious buildings
- religious structures
- single built works
- single built works by function
- single built works by specific type
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 608 x 1480
- File Size
- 92 KB
- Record
- 1980/2.290
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1980-sl-2.290/1980_2.290.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1980-SL-2.290:1980_2.290.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Dvarapala (temple guardian; pair with 1980/2.291); Artist Unknown, India, Kerala Workshop." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1980-sl-2.290/1980_2.290.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 16, 2024.
