Cleveland Museum of Art

Head of a Yaksha

Date

c. 125 BCE

Medium

mottled red sandstone

Culture

Northern India, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura, Shunga period (185–78 BCE)

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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.

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