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Corner Railing Pillar with Drinking Scenes, Yakshis, and Musicians
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This pillar reflects the influence of Greco-Roman culture on Indian art and the influence of Gandharan styles and bacchanalian themes on the art of Mathura. The pillar depicts female figures who, seemingly intoxicated, play instruments and dance. Two additional scenes are carved on the base. First, a hunchbacked woman pours wine for an obese male fertility figure ( yaksha ). The second scene probably illustrates the story of the horse-headed yakshi who ate her victims.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineCorner Railing Pillar with Drinking Scenes, Yakshis, and Musicians, 100s CE. India, Mathura, Kushan period. Red sandstone; overall: 80 x 22.9 x 24 cm (31 1/2 x 9 x 9 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1977.34
