Shiva Ardhanarisvara, c. 1700-1750, 8 1/8 × 5 5/8 in. (20.64 × 14.29 cm) (image)25 3/4 × 21 3/4 × 1 in. (65.41 × 55.25 × 2.54 cm) (outer frame), Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper, India, 18th century, In this hypnotic image, the Hindu god Shiva and his wife Parvati share one body, in the form known as Ardhanarisvara, ‘lord whose half is woman.’ It reveals Shiva as a symbol of his omnipotence, the seed and womb of all creation and destruction. Here, a razor-sharp vertical divides and unites the image, with the artist depicting the respective halves with individualized dimensionality. Shiva assumes the role of bearded ascetic, wearing a garland of skulls, with his attributes, the trident, kettle-drum, and bull vehicle, Nandi, at his side. His right hand tames a snake while another serpent wraps Shiva’s topknot, which in turn, catches the river goddess Ganga on her decent from heaven to the earth. Parvati, herself a manifestation of Devi (The Great Goddess), and embodiment of Shakti (female energy), is princess and daughter of the Himalaya—the source of the Ganges River and abode of the loving holy family. The mauve mountain and exuberant, lotus-filled pool are typical of the Bundi school in Rajasthan, and respectively represent Lake Manasarovar and Mt. Kailash in Tibet.
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