Title : Shashthi Mata
Accession No : 86/105/D/H/NHHM
The figure showcases an exquisitively carved wooden standing Shasthi Mata, from Gujarat. The goddess appears to be standing on a raised pedestal. She is holding thirteen children on either side of her body. The unique composition of the figure is based on proportionate display of the attached figures of the children. She has her hair tied in a long plait, heavily ornamented and wearing a Dhoti beneath accompanied with a blouse above.
Gallery
Provenance
- CountryIndia
- StateGujarat
Dimensions
- Measurement (CMS)26 x 11.5 x 4
Significance
- ReligiousHindu deity Shashthi or Goddess Shashti is revered in India and Nepal as the defender and benefactor of children. She is also the goddess of growth and procreation, and it is thought that she bestows children and assists childbirth. She is frequently portrayed as a nurturing figure, riding a cat and tending to one or more little children. She is symbolically represented in a variety of forms, including an earthenware pitcher, a banyan tree or part of it or a red stone beneath such a tree; outdoor spaces termed Shashthitala are also consecrated for her worship.
Description
- DescriptionThe figure showcases an exquisitively carved wooden standing Shasthi Mata, from Gujarat. The goddess appears to be standing on a raised pedestal. She is holding thirteen children on either side of her body. The unique composition of the figure is based on proportionate display of the attached figures of the children. She has her hair tied in a long plait, heavily ornamented and wearing a Dhoti beneath accompanied with a blouse above.
- Inscription/Markings No
- Reference"O.C. Handa, Madhu Jain. Wood Handicraft. New Delhi: M.L Gidwani, Indus Publishing Company, 2000. Chattopadhaya, Kamaladevi. Handicrafts of India. New Delhi: Indian Council for Cultural Research, 1975."
- KeywordWooden, Carved, Shashthi, Maata, Devi, Children