Medieval · Rijksmuseum · 200106308
Heavenly beauty
sculptor: anonymous, Khajuraho, c. 950
Rijksmuseum · Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam · AK-MAK-185 · Public Domain · On loan from the Royal Asian Art Society in The Netherlands (purchase through mediation of Charles-Louis Fábri, 1934) · Public domain
- Artist
- sculptor: anonymous, Khajuraho
- Date
- c. 950
- Medium
- sandstone
- Dimensions
- depth 21 cm × height 96 cm × width 32 cm
- Era
- Medieval
Why it matters
This female figure has raised her flywhisk to brush away the little monkey tugging at her clinging lower garment. The imprints of fingernails on her cheek and shoulder betray the fact that she has just been with her lover. The temples of Khajuraho are entirely covered with erotic sculptures. This heavenly beauty (apsara), from the Lakshmana temple, was attached to the top of a pillar in the temple hall.