The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 18, 2024

Head of a Yaksha

Head of a Yaksha

c. 125 BCE
(185–78 BCE)
mottled red sandstone
Overall: 48.2 x 40 x 35.6 cm (19 x 15 3/4 x 14 in.)
Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund 1962.45
Location: not on view

Description

Colossal statues of yakshas, male divinities who personify the productive forces of nature, were especially popular in the northern Indian region around the ancient city of Mathura. They were installed in shrines in parks and gardens, often associated with extraordinary trees. The red sandstone is from a nearby quarry, called Sikri.
  • ?-1962
    (William H. Wolff, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1962-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • The Art of India; Stone Sculpture. [New York, Tokyo]: The Asia Society, 1962. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 15
    Lee, Sherman E. “Year in Review 1962.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 49, no. 9, 1962, pp. 199–227. Mentioned: no. 68, p. 224 25151915
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 228 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 228 archive.org
    Czuma, Stanislaw. “Mathura Sculpture in the Cleveland Museum Collection.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 64, no. 3, 1977, pp. 83–114. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 84-85 25152680
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 287 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1991. Reproduced: p. 11 archive.org
    Morris, Rekha, "Sense and Sensitivity: Sherman Lee's Impact on the Collection of North Indian Sculpture at the Cleveland Museum of Art," Orientations, vol. 36, no.1, p. 88-93. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 88
    Guy, John. Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India. Exh. cat. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2023. Mentioned: pp. 48–49; Reproduced: p. 48, cat. 17
  • Tree and Serpent: The Evolution of Early Buddhist Art in India. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (organizer) (July 17-November 13, 2023).
    Year in Review - 1962. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 24-November 25, 1962).
    The Art of India: Stone Sculpture. The Asia Society Museum, New York, NY (organizer) (September 25-November 15, 1962).
  • {{cite web|title=Head of a Yaksha|url=false|author=|year=c. 125 BCE|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1962.45