Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum

A catalogue of the Ashmolean’s collection of Indian art by J. C. Harle and Andrew Topsfield (published Oxford, 1987).

Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum by J. C. Harle and Andrew Topsfield

Publications online: 143 objects

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Relief depicting two deities with a staff, purse, and cornucopia

  • Literature notes

    In this attractive sculpture, Pāncika and Hārītī are seated together in a pose probably imitative of Roman tutelary couples. They are, in fact, Indian folk gods, he now dressed in a Kusāna tunic but with a Greek style cloak thrown over his shoulders, while Hārītī’s dress is certainly non-Indian. Her crown in particular suggests a western origin. The cornucopia, with an animal’s head at the base suggesting a rhyton [see EA1963.28], is quite non-Indian. Her crown in particular suggests a western origin. In fact, to pious Buddhists and caste Hindus alike, animal horn would have been anathema but they probably had no idea of the origin of the horn of plenty.

    Pāñcika (sometimes conflated with Kubera) is associated with wealth. He holds a purse (part of his staff is missing) and coins piled up below the throne. Hārītī, who is worshipped for the protection of children [see EA1971.36] is here depicted as a goddess of plenty.
  • Description

    Seated like a Roman tutelary couple, the Indian wealth deity Panchika holds a purse and staff (now broken), while his consort Hariti holds a cornucopia. The latter feature suggests that this pair of protective deities may otherwise be Kubera and Ardochsho, Indian and Iranian deities of prosperity.

  • Details

    Associated place
    Asia Gandhara (place of creation)
    AsiaPakistanNorth-West Frontier Province Charsadda district (possible place of creation)
    Date
    2nd - 3rd century AD (AD 101 - 300)
    Kushan Period (AD 50 - 600)
    Material and technique
    grey schist
    Dimensions
    18 x 17 x 4.5 cm max. (height x width x depth)
    Material index
    Technique index
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Presented by Major P. C. Hailey, 1962.
    Accession no.
    EA1962.42
  • Further reading

    Harle, J. C., and Andrew Topsfield, Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1987), no. 18 on p. 15, pp. 5 & 11, illus. p. 15

    Hallade, Madeleine, The Gandhara Style and the Evolution of Buddhist Art, trans. Diana Imber, photographer Hans Hinz (London: Thames and Hudson, 1968), p. xi, pp. 95-96, illus. p. 96 pl. 70

Location

    • Ground floor | Room 12 | India to 600

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Publications online

  • Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum by J. C. Harle and Andrew Topsfield

    Indian Art in the Ashmolean Museum

    In this attractive sculpture, Pāncika and Hārītī are seated together in a pose probably imitative of Roman tutelary couples. They are, in fact, Indian folk gods, he now dressed in a Kusāna tunic but with a Greek style cloak thrown over his shoulders, while Hārītī’s dress is certainly non-Indian. Her crown in particular suggests a western origin. The cornucopia, with an animal’s head at the base suggesting a rhyton [see EA1963.28], is quite non-Indian. Her crown in particular suggests a western origin. In fact, to pious Buddhists and caste Hindus alike, animal horn would have been anathema but they probably had no idea of the origin of the horn of plenty.

    Pāñcika (sometimes conflated with Kubera) is associated with wealth. He holds a purse (part of his staff is missing) and coins piled up below the throne. Hārītī, who is worshipped for the protection of children [see EA1971.36] is here depicted as a goddess of plenty.
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