Shiva in Himalayan Abode with Ascetics

9th–10th century

Not on view

Restituted

This artwork was restituted in June 2021. It is no longer in the museum’s collection.

In this dramatic depiction of Shiva in his mountain abode at Mount Kailash, mountains with rolling clouds frame the god and his two ascetic disciples. Shiva holds a flask filled with amrta, the ambrosia from the churning of the ocean, representing the origins of life. The dramatically projecting rocks, suggestive of grottos, frame the trio.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Shiva in Himalayan Abode with Ascetics
Period: Licchavi–early Malla periods
Date: 9th–10th century
Culture: Nepal, Kathmandu Valley
Medium: Stone
Dimensions: H. 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm); W. 13 1/8 in. (33.3 cm); D. 3 in. (7.6 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Evelyn Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 1995
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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