Detail:the hips
This superb sculpture was once an upright post for a railing that circumscribed a gateway or a stupa from the Mathura region of Northern India. On each side is a yakshi (nature goddess), who with their large breasts and wide hips represent the Indian pinnacle of female beauty and motherhood. These goddesses are heavily adorned with large anklets, bracelets, girdles, necklaces and earplugs. The heavy jewelry denotes abundance as does the bundle of grain and the wine cup that they hold in their right hands. These yakshis were probably prayed to by women wanting safety in childbirth and prosperity for their husbands. In an agricultural community they are seen as the goddesses of a good harvest.
Detail:head
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