INDIA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, KULU VALLEY, CIRCA 15TH CENTURY

Images of this type were used in processions during festivals and are typical for eastern Himachal Pradesh. They are in the form of plaques, with the Pahari word mohra referring to face, with characteristic elements of a projecting face and nipples or slightly swelling breasts. However, the identification as Shiva or Durga is not always clear, while the dating spans from the 12th-15th century, with some possibly earlier examples; compare with a group at the Norton Simon Museum, see P. Pal, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Vol. 2: Art from the Himalayas and China, 2003, cat. nos. pp. 51-57.