{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O62672"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O62672/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC8937/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC8937/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BC8937","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O62672/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O62672","accessionNumber":"IM.298-1914","objectType":"Relief panel","titles":[{"title":"Parvati's Penance","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Parvati is seen performing extreme austerities in order to win the favour of her Lord Siva in a subject known Tapasvini Paravati. As the supreme yogi, Siva would not unite with his bride, and so Parvati decided to secure his affection by demonstrating her own advanced mastery of yogic skills through the performance of severe penance. She stands on one leg, in the yogic vrksasana (‘tree-posture’) attitude,  with her upper arms held raised above the head. As if anticipating Siva’s approval, she holds a string of rudraksas beads (holy to Siva) in her raised hands, so that the string of beads resemble a victory garland (mala). In her lower left hand she holds the holy water bottle and with the other makes the protective abhayamudra. The presence of four burning pyres indicates that she is performing  her austerities in a cremation ground, one of Siva’s favoured locations. A second meaning also attaches to the fire imagery, its ability to test the purify of an untarnished soul. \r\n\r\nThis relief panel was found at a shrine in a deserted village situated in a forested tract in the Palnad Taluga near the south bank of the Kistna River, in Andhra Pradesh. Presumably it originally decorated the exterior of a Saiva temple’s sanctuary (vimana). It was purchased from the collection of Robert Sewell, a well known historian of southern India.","physicalDescription":"The sculpture represents Devi, the sakti of Siva, in her form of Parvati or Gauri, as a yogini performing penitential austerities to gain the favour of her lord. She holds a water-bottle in her left hand, and her lower right is in <i>abhaya mudra</i>. Her two other arms are raised above her head with fingers passed through a rosary of <i>rudraksha</i> berries. She stands on her left leg, the right being bent up to the body. Round her burn four small fires, a common form of austerity.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"limestone","id":"AAT11286"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved limestone in Eastern Chalukya style","categories":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006BC8937"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES374307"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Figure","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Andhra Pradesh","id":"x29820"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Found at a jungle shrine in a deserted village, situated in a forest tract in the Palnad Taluqa, near the south bank of Krishna river, Kistna District, Andhra Pradesh, south India (Palnadu Taluk, since 1904 in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh), Eastern Chalukya style."}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"8th century","earliest":"0700-01-01","latest":"0800-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Robert Sewell, Esq. (late ICS)","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"43.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"33","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"11","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Purchased from Robert Sewell (late ICS, member of Council of Royal Asiatic Society) for £6 in 1914.\r\n\r\nPurchased from Robert Sewell, Esq. (late ICS). This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.\r\n\r\nR.P. 1913- 1326M","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Relief panel depicting Parvati's Penance, limestone, Andhra Pradesh, south India, 8th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"D Barrett, <u>The later school of Amaravati and its influences, Art and Letters</u>, Vol. XXVIII, 1954, attributed to Eastern Chalukya dynasty by D Barrett.\r\nFor illustration of a Siva Nataraja fragment in similar style see S.Kramrisch, <u>Grundzuge der Indischen Kunst</u>, Helleran, 1924, pl.42.\r\nGuy, John: <u>Indian Temple Sculpture</u>, London, V & A Publication, 2007, p.142, pl.160.\r\nISBN 9781851775095.\r\n\n'Parvati is seen performing extreme austerities in order to win the favour of her Lord Siva in a subject known Tapasvini Paravati. As the supreme yogi, Siva would not unite with his bride, and so Parvati decided to secure his affection by demonstrating her own advanced mastery of yogic skills through the performance of severe penance. She stand on one leg, in the yogic vrksasana (‘tree-posture’) attitude,  with her upper arms held raised above the head. As if anticipating Siva’s approval, she holds a string of rudraksas beads (holy to Siva) in her raised hands, so that the string of beads resemble a victory garland (mala). In her lower left hand she holds the holy water bottle and with the other makes the protective abhayamudra. The presence of four burning pyres indicates that she is performing  her austerities in a cremation ground, one of Siva’s favoured locations. A second meaning also attaches to the fire imagery, its ability to test the purify of an untarnished soul. \r\n   This relief panel was found at a shrine in a deserted village situated in a forested tract in the Palnad Taluqa near the south bank of the Kistna River, in Andhra Pradesh. Presumably it originally decorated the exterior of a Saiva temple’s sanctuary (vimana). It was purchased from the collection of Robert Sewell, a well known historian of southern India.'\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"Barnard, Nick. 'A Third-Century CE Nagarjunakonda Relief and Other Sculpture from Andhra Pradesh in the Victoria and Albert Museum' in Shimada, A. and Willis, M. (eds.) <u>Amaravati: The Art of an Early Buddhist Monument in Context</u>, British Museum Research Publication 207. The British Museum, London, 2016. ISBN 978 0861592074.","id":"AUTH346692"},"details":"p. 82, fig. no. 107","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"L'escultura en el temples indis : l'art de la devoció : exposició organitzada per la Fundació \"La Caixa\" i el Victoria & Albert Museum, Londres. [Barcelona: Obra social, Fundació \"la Caixa\", c2007 Number: 9788476649466","id":"AUTH339669"},"details":"p.100, Cat. 51","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Parvati","id":"N735"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"fire","id":"AAT68986"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"AAT73727"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IM.298-1914"],"accessionNumberNum":"298","accessionNumberPrefix":"IM","accessionYear":1914,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LM5444","2019LT4471","2019LU6061"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-06-24","recordCreationDate":"2001-09-27","availableToBook":false}}