Amorous Couple

Description This is a section of a doorjamb from the entrance to a temple sanctuary. The depiction of couples reinforces the belief that entering the sanctuary and worshiping there should be a pleasurable, joyous, and rewarding experience. (Here, the sculptor may be testing the limits: note the scratches made on the woman's back by her lover's fingernails.)

Exhibitions

• Desire and Devotion: Art from India, Nepal, and Tibet in the John and Berthe Ford Collection. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham; Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara; Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque. 2001-2003.

Provenance John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 2003, by gift.

Credit Gift of John and Berthe Ford, 2003