Colossal Head of a Deva
Unknown Artist
c. 1200
Medium
sandstone
Dimensions
71.3 × 50 × 47 cm
Classification
Stone
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Maxeen and John Flower in honor of Dr. Stanislaw Czuma
Accession Number
2011.147
About this artwork
This head is from one of the gods (devas in Sanskrit) who, according to Hindu myth, churned the primordial Ocean of Milk to extract the nectar of immortality. Using a mountain as a churning rod and a serpent as the rope, the gods on one side and the demons on the other vied to win the nectar. The gods prevailed and achieved immortality.