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Shiva and His Family

Indian (Artist)
10th century CE
copper alloy
(India, Nepal, and Tibet)

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.

Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

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

Exhibitions

2001-2003 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.
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Geographies

India, West Bengal (Place of Origin)

Measurements

H: 5 1/16 × W: 4 7/16 × D: 2 9/16 in. (12.8 × 11.3 × 6.5 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of John and Berthe Ford, 2008

Location in Museum

Across Asia: The John and Berthe Ford Gallery of Indian, Nepalese, and Tibetan Art

Accession Number

In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.

54.3076

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Hours

  • Wednesday—Sunday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
  • Thursday: 1–8 p.m.
  • Monday—Tuesday: Closed

Location

600 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD
21201

Phone

410-547-9000

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