Cleveland Museum of Art

Naga (Serpent Divinity)

Date: 300s CE
Medium: sandstone
Culture: India, Mathura, Kushan period
Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

The coils of a serpent's body and the bottle of water in his hand confirm the identity of this figure as a water serpent divinity called a naga . Nagas continue to be important divinities in local piety, for they control the forces of water, essential for prosperity.

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