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Nature Divinity (Yakshi) with Dwarf Hermaphrodite
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Nature divinities, or yakshis , are associated with the life-giving forces of plants, so her headdress includes a dramatic array of leaves and flowers. Her companion, a female figure with male genitalia, is a dwarf who has connections with the fecundity of the earth. Terracotta figurines were often venerated in domestic shrines for the ongoing prosperity of the family.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineNature Divinity (Yakshi) with Dwarf Hermaphrodite, c. 100 BCE. India, Shunga period (185–78 BCE). Terracotta; overall: 18 cm (7 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Adrienne Minassian by exchange, 1972.259
