The paring of Shiva and his wife, Parvati, as the divine couple known as Umamaheshvara, is a popular image in Shaivism. In this ensemble, the couple’s gestures and gently flexing torsos create a mood of great tenderness. They are alone, without Shiva’s calf-bull or their children Skanda and Ganesha, who are often represented.
Details
- Title : Shiva Seated with Parvati
- Year : 11th century
- Classification : Sculpture
- Medium : Copper alloy
- Dimension : H. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm); W. 11 in. (27.9 cm); D. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm); Wt. 21 lbs (9.5 kg)
- Accession No : 1987.218.1
- Country/ Geo-location : Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
- Collection : The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Credit Line : Samuel Eilenberg Collection, Ex Coll.: Columbia University, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1987
- Status : On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 252
- Provenance : Samuel Eilenberg , New York (until 1986; donated to Columbia University); [ Columbia University , New York, 1986–1987, sold to MMA]
- Exhibition History : New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Lotus Transcendent: Indian and Southeast Asian Art from the Samuel Eilenberg Collection," October 2, 1991–June 28, 1992. New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Art of the Himalayas," December 15, 2010–December 4, 2011.
- Timeline of Art History : Essays Couples in Art ;;Timelines Himalayan Region, 1000-1400 A.D.
- MetPublications : Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 1986–1987 The Lotus Transcendent: Indian and Southeast Asian Art from the Samuel Eilenberg Collection The Art of South and Southeast Asia: A Resource for Educators