Cleveland Museum of Art

Male Fertility Divinity, Possibly Shiva

Date

c. 120–200 CE

Medium

terracotta

Culture

Northern India, possibly Mathura, Kushan period

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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. This sculpture was first made from a mold, then subsequently hand modeled.

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