Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Erotic Couple ("Mithuna")
(India, Nepal, and Tibet)
Standing under the lush foliage of a flourishing tree, this amorous couple, or "mithuna," once formed part of the jamb of a temple doorway. Associated with fertility and wellbeing, "mithunas" are considered to bring auspiciousness to the buildings they adorn. Here, the man stands at ease while the woman twists to display and admire the nail marks left by her partner during lovemaking—a motif in both Sanskrit literature and the visual arts of South Asia.
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.
Renzo Freschi, Milan; purchased by John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore, 1998; given to Walters Art Museum, 2003.
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. |
Geographies
India, Madhya Pradesh (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 15 1/2 × W: 9 5/8 × D: 2 1/2 in. (39.4 × 24.5 × 6.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of John and Berthe Ford, 2003
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
25.252