Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Lota (Water Jar)
(India, Nepal, and Tibet)
Jars like this held water for household religious rites. Depicted is the descent of the Ganges, the sacred river, from the god Shiva's mountain abode. The figures on the 12 panels of the main register include the incarnations of the god Vishnu. The lower register has 11 panels with symbols for the main temples along the banks of the Ganges in Benares (Varanasi). Bathing at these sites is believed to cleanse away one's sins.
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.
Collection of Lockwood de Forest, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; American Art Association Sale, New York, 1922, lot 339; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1922, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
India, Varanasi (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 5 1/4 x W: 5 15/16 in. (13.3 x 15.1 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1922
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.
54.563