A red sandstone figure of a salabhanjika

INDIA, RAJASTHAN OR MADHYA PRADESH, 10TH/11TH CENTURY

Details

A red sandstone figure of a salabhanjika
India, Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, 10th/11th century
Standing in graceful tribhanga clutching the branches of the tree above with both hands, clad in a sheer dhoti and adorned with beaded jewelry and festoons, the face with full lips and downcast eyes, surmounted by the flower of a pendant lotus and surrounded by diminutive attendants
26½ in. (67.3 cm.) high

Lot Essay

As in the story of Mayadevi giving birth to Buddha while grasping the branches of the sal tree, salabhanjika means "breaking the branches of the sal tree." Over time, this literal translation combined with the belief that spirits of fecundity live in trees produced the image of a beautiful woman grasping the branches and causing them to burst forth in fruit and bloom.

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