Architectural Sculpture: Face of Time (Kala-mukha)
Unknown Artist
1100s–1300s
Medium
volcanic stone
Dimensions
40 × 45.5 × 31 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund
Accession Number
1975.104
About this artwork
The bulging eyes and curved fangs of Kala emphasize the ferocity of the figure who stands for Time and Death, the devourer of all creation. Placed above the entry to an Indonesian temple, Kala serves both to protect the site and indicate a symbolic rebirth for those who pass beneath to enter the sacred space. Though related to the faces of glory on monuments in India, Kala and the volcanic stone from which it has been carved are distinctively Javanese.