FEMALE NARRATOR:
A child sits on his smiling mother’s knee, playing with her necklace as children do. Proud and protective, the mother holds an arm around her child. With one foot tucked beneath her, she seems confident and relaxed, the epitome of regal grace. This is a Hindu Mother Goddess, possibly the warrior Goddess Durga or Shiva’s consort Parvati with her son Kumara.
Goddesses in India are often simultaneously benign and awesome, both adored and feared. In Hinduism, female sexuality is the force of creation. In fact, this goddess’s voluptuous form is an expression of her power, as was the sword she once held in her right hand – now broken. The child in her lap, however, softens her image and emphasizes her nurturing role.
Mother Goddess with Child
c. 600
Asia: India, Uttar Pradesh
On View
This image of a goddess belonging to the Hindu pantheon portrays her both as a protector deity and a nurturing mother. Hence, she carries a sword with one hand and a child with the other. Interestingly, the small child pulls on a string of pearls around her neck.
Details
- Title: Mother Goddess with Child
- Date: c. 600
- Medium: Sandstone
- Dimensions: overall: 29 1/2 x 22 1/4 x 6 in. (74.93 x 56.51 x 15.24 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Art Foundation
- Accession Number: M.1975.11.05.S
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Art Foundation
Object Information
Durga: Avenging Goddess, Nurturing Mother
- Norton Simon Museum, 2005-10-07 to 2006-03-27
- Dye III, Joseph M., Asian Art: Selections from the Norton Simon Museum, 1988, fig. 6 p. 25
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 1: Art from the Indian Subcontinent, 2003, no. 71 p. 109
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Durga: Avenging Goddess, Nurturing Mother, 2005, fig. 21 p. 24
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1157 p. 377
Image reproduction permission may be granted for scholarly or arts related commercial use. All image requests, regardless of their intended purpose, should be submitted via the reproduction request form.
Images may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. Additional permission may be required.
Approved requests for the reproduction of an image will receive a contract detailing all fees and conditions of use of the image. Upon receipt of both the signed contract and full payment, the Office of Rights and Reproductions will provide the image. A complimentary copy of the published material must be provided to the Norton Simon Museum.