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THE PROPERTY OF DOROTHY AND RICHARD SHERWOOD

305
A LARGE AND IMPORTANT BUFF SANDSTONE RELIEF WITH
SEVEN MATRIKAS
CENTRAL INDIA, 8TH-9TH CENTURY
53 in. (134.6 cm.) wide

$150,000-200,000

PROVENANCE
The Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck collection, New York, by repute. This striking and well-preserved relief depicts the saptamatrikas, or seven
The Pan-Asian Collection (Christian Humann), by 1975. divine mothers, in dynamic dance. In early Indian sculpture, including
Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, New York, 1982. during the Kushan period (CE first-third century), the matrikas were initially
The Pan-Asian Collection; Sotheby’s New York, 5 October 1990, lot 25. represented as ferocious and dangerous, often shown eating children. In later
traditions, such as in the present relief, they come to represent protective
EXHIBITED
On loan to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (L.75.5), by 1975. motherly deities and became associated with the cults of Shiva and his
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Seattle Art Museum, Denver Art son, Skanda. In some traditions, such as the Devi Mahatmya, the matrikas
Museum, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery, Kansas City, National Gallery, are borne out of Durga’s struggle with the demon, Mahishasura; taking on
Ottawa, Toledo Museum of Art, “The Sensuous Immortals: A Selection of the attributes of their associated male deities, the matrikas help to defeat
Sculptures from the Pan-Asian Collection” 25 October 1977-29 October 1978. the demon armies of Mahishasura. Following in this tradition, each matrika
The Asia Society Galleries, New York, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, can usually be identified by certain iconographic attributes, such as the
Kansas City, Missouri, “Gods, Guardians, and Lovers: Temple Sculptures from
North India, A.D. 700-1200,” 31 March-28 November 1993, cat. no. 62. implements they carry or their vahanas (mounts), corresponding to those
of their male aspect. In the present relief, the matrikas can be identified by
LITERATURE those attributes as (from left), Brahmani, Maheshvari, Kumari, Vaishnavi,
P. Pal, The Sensuous Immortals, A Selection of Sculptures from the Pan-Asian Varahi, Indrani, and Chamunda, fanked on either side by Virabhadra, a form
Collection, catalogue of the traveling exhibition, Los Angeles, 1977, p. 64-65, of Shiva, at left and Ganesha at right. One particularly charming quality of
no. 35 (illustrated).
V. Desai and D. Mason (eds.), Gods, Guardians, and Lovers: Temple Sculptures the present work is the presence of each matrika’s vahana, to the proper right
from North India A.D. 700-1200, Seattle, 1993, pp. 244-245, no. 62. of each goddess and in most cases looking up towards their faces: starting
from left, Brahmani’s goose is followed by Maheshvari’s Nandi (bull), Kumari’s
peacock, Vaishnavi’s Garuda, Varahi’s bufalo, Indrani’s elephant, and, more
gruesomely, Chamunda’s slayed demon corpse.

P. Pal, The Sensuous Immortals, A Selection of Sculptures form the Pan-
Asian Collection, catalogue of the traveling exhibition, Los Angeles, 1977,
cover and p. 64.

V. Desai and D. Mason (eds.), Gods, Guardians, and Lovers: Temple Sculptures from North India A.D. 700-1200, Seattle, 1993,
cover and p. 245.