Shalabhanjika (Woman and Tree)
Unknown Artist
300s–400s CE
Medium
gray steatite
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.08}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
James Parmelee Fund
Accession Number
1974.74
About this artwork
The full carving of a flowering tree on the back of this figurine indicates that she is a figure of a nature divinity who personifies the life-giving qualities of the sap that envigorates the tree and causes it to flower. These figures are sometimes called shalabhanjika, "she who breaks the tree," probably because her fertile properties are so powerful that it causes the tree to fruit so heavily that the branches break.