NARRATOR:
In the Vedas, the ancient texts that set forth many Hindu tenets and practices, Indra is king of the gods, the god of natural elements. Many of the Vedic hymns are dedicated to him.
This gilded-bronze Indra from Nepal is shown in the posture of royal ease, expressing his dignity and majesty. The elegant twists and turns of the god's pose create a sensuous fluid outline. Details of the casting are particularly fine, especially the facial features and the gesture of the right hand, which symbolizes discussion or dialogue.
Starting in the sixth century, images of Indra portray the horizontal third eye you see here. It personifies the god's energy, and probably recalls his characterization in Vedic mythology as a cosmic figure with a thousand eyes. There's also another origin: Indra was cursed by a sage whose philandering wife he'd violated, to be marked with a thousand images of the female sexual organ.
Now, walk around to enjoy the back view of this graceful deity. You'll see his fine bound-up hair, hidden from the front.
Indra's popularity declined in 10th-century India, while it rose in adjacent Nepal. Since he is the deity of rains, his cult may have been introduced to this land-locked region on India's northeast border during a drought. Today, in Nepal, images like this one are brought out of temples and worshipped in an annual festival of Indra observed by both Hindus and Buddhists.
Indra
13th century
Asia: Nepal
On View
Indra is the king of the gods and a prominent deity in both the Hindu and Buddhist pantheons. In Nepali figures, Indra usually wears a crown or elaborate tiara and is portrayed in a royal posture that expresses a relaxed yet dignified attitude. This iconographic type was an invention of Nepali artists, whose extraordinary finesse with metalwork is also evident in the figure's meticulously crafted details and gem-inlaid ornaments.
Details
- Title: Indra
- Date: 13th century
- Medium: Gilt bronze
- Dimensions: 16-1/8 x 12-3/16 x 6 in. (41.0 x 31 x 15.2 cm)
- Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
- Accession Number: F.1972.27.S
- Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation
Object Information
Treasures from the Himalayas: Sacred Treasures from Tibet, Nepal and Northern India
- Norton Simon Museum, 2003-05-30 to 2003-10-27
Painting and Sculpture from Nepal, Tibet and Northwest India
- Norton Simon Museum, 1994-09-22 to 1997-06-01
- Lerner, Martin, The Connoisseur, fig. 12 pp. 202-203
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Marg, fig. 18 pp. 70-71, 73
- Knoke, Christine, Minerva, fig. 18 p. 30
- Patrick Bresnan, Awakening: An Introduction to the history of Eastern Thought,
- Fisher, Robert E., Asian Art: Selections from the Norton Simon Museum, fig. 8 p. 53
- Pal, Pratapaditya, American Collectors of Asian Art, 1986, fig. 18 pp. 134, 137
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 2: Art from the Himalayas & China, 2003, no. 52 pp. 11, 18, 72, 74, 84-87, 91, 112, 114, 242
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 831 p. 343
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