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Yaksha abducting a woman

India, Gangetic region, probably Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh

1st century BCE

Not on view

Abduction in times of civil disorder was an ever-present threat to women in early India. This fear found expression in a genre of clay votives that depict a grotesque yaksha stealing a woman from her home and kin. The demon personifies the dangers of the natural world—remote hills, water holes, and rivers. Offerings of meat and alcohol appeased his violent and poisoned nature.

Yaksha abducting a woman, Clay, India, Gangetic region, probably Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Yaksha abducting a woman

Period: Shunga

Date: 1st century BCE

Culture: India, Gangetic region, probably Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh

Medium: Clay

Dimensions: H. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); W. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm); D. 3/8 in. (1 cm)

Classification: Ceramics

Credit Line: Lent by a private collection

Accession Number: TS.422

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Asian Art at The Met

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