Goddess Hariti Seated Holding a Child
2nd/3rd century
Medium
Gray schist
Dimensions
61 × 43.2 × 16.5 cm (24 × 17 × 6 1/2 in.)
Classification
schist
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
153535
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Originally a child-devouring demoness, Hariti ultimately became a benevolent protector of children after the Buddha kidnapped one of her own to demonstrate the distress she had been inflicting upon other parents. Hariti, who herself had hundreds of children, is here shown with one child in her lap tugging on her necklace, another tapping her left shoulder, and a third clinging to her skirt by her left knee. As a Buddhist goddess, she was propitiated by female devotees for fertility and healthy c...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...