«« go back

UMAMAHESVARA

Una-Parvati, the Great Goddess, and Mahesvara-Siva, the Great Lord, seat in royal stance on a rock covered by a tiger skin, representing Mount Kailasa, their abode.
One of Siva’s hands holds a flower, the other a rosary, the third (not visible) wiels the trident, the fourth embraces Parvati and rest on her lap.
At Mahesvara’s tight lies Nandi, the sacred bull, Parvati sits on the god’s leg and embraces him with her right hand, while the left holds the stalk of a lotus flower blooming by her side.
The two gods wear rich diadems; Siva’s one is decorated with the sun and the crescent moon.
The two figures, deeply carved, stand out against the flat background; the symmetric arrangement of legs and arms strengthens the geometrical composition and imparts a feeling of aristocratic sacrality.
The stele has a mandorla shape with a rim of lotus petals typical of Nepalese art;
the nimbus behind the gods’ heads repeats the same shape.
The stone has a warm tone with a glossy patina and abundant trace of the coloured substances that were ritually applied.

Similar examples:

Ernest and Rose Waldschmidt, Nepal;
    Plate 21 shows a stele featuring the same iconography
                                                           but of later date.


Provenance:

Mandala Gallery
Renzo Freschi
Presented at the exhibition, "The immortal beauty" is published to pay 42 of the catalog. 1998