Shiva and Parvati with their Sons Karttikeya and Ganesha and the Calf Bull
Unknown Artist
9th century
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
H. 11 in. (28 cm); W. 6 3/8 in. (16.2 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
India (Jammu and Kashmir, ancient kingdom of Kashmir)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Michael and Georgia de Havenon, 1989
Accession Number
1989.362
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 9th-century stone from the ancient kingdom of Kashmir in and Kashmir, India, captures a tender family moment among Hindu deities: Shiva, the cosmic destroyer and transformer, seated with his consort Parvati, flanked by their sons Karttik (god of war) and the elephant-headed Ganesharemover of obstacles), and accompanied by Shiva's sacred bull, Nandi—here depicted as a calf. Carved from stone, the compact piece measures just 11 inches high and6⅜ inches wide, suggesting it served as a devotional object for personal worship in temples or homes. Hailing from a golden age of Kashmiri...