Shiva and His Family

Description Shiva, who is associated with both destruction and fertility, sits with his wife, the goddess Parvati, who is assocated with peaceful stability, and their two sons, Kumara and the elephant-headed Ganesha. Shiva’s bull and Parvati’s lion perch below the god and goddess, and a devotee kneels in the lower corner, looking toward the divine pair in adoration. The size of this sculpture suggests that it once served as a personal object of devotion, through which its owner could worship Shiva and his family.

Exhibitions

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

Provenance Bashir Antiquities, New Delhi; purchased by John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore, February 1989; given to Walters Art Museum, 2008.

Credit Gift of John and Berthe Ford, 2008