Nature Divinity (Yakshi) with Dwarf Hermaphrodite
Unknown Artist
c. 100 BCE
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
h. 18 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Adrienne Minassian by exchange
Accession Number
1972.259
About this artwork
Nature divinities, or yakshis, are associated with the life-giving forces of plants, so her headdress includes a dramatic array of leaves and flowers. Her companion, a female figure with male genitalia, is a dwarf who has connections with the fecundity of the earth. Terracotta figurines were often venerated in domestic shrines for the ongoing prosperity of the family.