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Railing pillar with yaksha on makara

ca. 2nd century BCE
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Large-scale sculptural reliefs of male and female nature spirit deities—yakshas and yakshis, respectively—featured prominently on the earliest stupa enclosure railings, such as this railing pillar from Kaushambi. Placement of these deities on the corner posts of a gateway ensured that they were appropriately honored while serving as guardians of the transitional zone between profane and sacred spaces. This yaksha, with long waistcloth and jeweled ornaments, stands firmly on the compressed form of a makara, the aquatic hybrid creature that guards the watery realms. These sculpted deities were also routinely identified by name, as here in a partially legible inscription above the yaksha.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Railing pillar with yaksha on makara
  • Period: Shunga
  • Date: ca. 2nd century BCE
  • Culture: India, Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 42 1/8 in. (107 cm); W. 9 7/16 in. (24 cm); D. 8 11/16 in. (22 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Allahabad Museum, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
  • Rights and Reproduction: Photo by Theirry Ollivier
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art