India, Mathura, Kshatrapa period (c. 20 BCE–114 CE) / c. 75 CE
Nature Divinity (Yakshi)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Nature Divinity (Yakshi) as sculpture (India, Mathura, Kshatrapa period (c. 20 BCE–114 CE) · c. 75 CE).
The prominence of the peacock (enemy of serpents) on the back of her headdress suggests she has the power to protect against snakebite.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as mottled red sandstone.
The museum's collection notes: This powerful figure personifies the ideal of the young mother in the form of a nature goddess associated with birth and nourishment. Her iconic stance with the weight equally distributed on both feet indicates that this statue was an object of worship. Her extraordinary headdress, well preserved in the back, and full complement of jewels and ornaments, point to the idea of wealth, which leads to prosperity.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtNature Divinity (Yakshi)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.