The central figure on this lintel is Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and Vishnu’s consort. She is being bathed by two elephants (gaja), symbolizing the rains pouring from the heavens to fertilize the earth. Lakshmi is flanked on her far right by her husband, Vishnu, wearing a tall crown, and Skanda, the god of war, seated on a peacock to her immediate right. On her left, Lakshmi is accompanied by Shiva, identified by his dreadlocks and trident, and Ganesh, the elephant-headed god.
Details
- Title: Lintel with Gajalakshmi and Other Hindu Deities
- Date: late 10th century
- Medium: Sandstone
- Dimensions: 16-1/4 x 65-3/4 x 8-1/4 in. (41.3 x 167.0 x 21.0 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Art Foundation, from the Estate of Jennifer Jones Simon
- Accession Number: M.2010.1.62.S
- Copyright: © Norton Simon Art Foundation
Object Information
- Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 1: Art from the Indian Subcontinent, 2003, no. 92 p. 134
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1140 p. 376
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