Description
This figure combines an unusual set of attributes. He has long dreadlocks over his shoulders, like an ascetic, and he holds a water pot, like a Brahmin or naga (serpent deity). Also, he seems to carry a sword and dagger like a warrior and is ithyphallic, indicating his virility and fecundity. He may best be identified as a local divinity worshipped for purposes of increasing fertility, but he could also be recognized as an early form of the Hindu god Shiva.
Provenance
(Ariane Dandois-Faye, Paris, France, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1986); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1986–)
Accession Number
1986.71
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
Overall: 17.3 cm (6 13/16 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund