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Head of yaksha

early 1st century CE
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This male head is among the earliest freestanding sculptures directly associated with Buddhist worship—prior to this, fully sculpted figures were devoted to nature deity shrines. It likely belonged to a male figure affixed to the upper crossbar of a ceremonial gateway at Sanchi Stupa 1, which was itself richly adorned with narrative scenes, an abundance of nature deities, and mythical aquatic creatures. Note the distinctive cross-tying of the turban seen here that culminates in a forehead bun backed by a fanlike arrangement of the cloth ends; such tying techniques are seen in images of nobility in the late Satavahana period.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of yaksha
  • Period: Satavahana
  • Date: early 1st century CE
  • Culture: India, Sanchi Stupa 1, Bhopal district, Madhya Pradesh
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 11 5/8 in. (29.5 cm); W. 6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm); Est. D. 5 7/8 in. (15 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Museum für Asiatische Kunst – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
  • Rights and Reproduction: bpk Bildagentur/Museum fuer Asiatische Kunst, Staatliche Museen/Iris Papadopoulos/Art Resource, NY
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art