India, Uttar Pradesh / c. 1000
Agni, God of Fire
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Agni, God of Fire as sculpture (India, Uttar Pradesh · c. 1000).
This sculpture is on the cover of the Penguin Classics edition of the Hindu "Laws of Manu."
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as sandstone.
The museum's collection notes: The Hindu god Agni, with flames rising behind him, is the figural form of the sacrificial fire, central to religious practice in India since the early second millennium BC. Agni’s mount is the goat, and together they preside over the Southeast. In the upper registers, Brahmans perform fire sacrifice, preach to disciples, and practice "hot yoga."
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtAgni, God of FireOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.