Ambika
Figure
12th century (made)
12th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This sculpture is of the voluptuous Jain goddess Ambika, who is worshipped on behalf of mothers and infants. Here, she is shown seated on a double lotus pedestal throne beneath a mango tree. She protectively holds an infant with her left hand, whilst a second child stands on the lower freize reaching up to her.
In her right hand, Ambika holds a mango branch.The mango is symbolically associated with rounded female forms, especially breasts. This association is underscored by the similarity between the Sanskrit and Hindi words for mango (amra and amb, amba) and mother (amba and amma).
Ambika's vahana or vehicle is the lion, which is seen seated beneath the lotus pedestal throne. It is accompanied by the figures of two kneeling worshippers, who may be the donors who commissioned this sculpture.
Ambika is the attendant deity associated with Neminatha, the 22nd Jain tirthanakara (ford-maker). Neminatha is depicted in his haloed form directly above Ambika. He is flanked by his attendants, garland bearers and celestial musicians.
In her right hand, Ambika holds a mango branch.The mango is symbolically associated with rounded female forms, especially breasts. This association is underscored by the similarity between the Sanskrit and Hindi words for mango (amra and amb, amba) and mother (amba and amma).
Ambika's vahana or vehicle is the lion, which is seen seated beneath the lotus pedestal throne. It is accompanied by the figures of two kneeling worshippers, who may be the donors who commissioned this sculpture.
Ambika is the attendant deity associated with Neminatha, the 22nd Jain tirthanakara (ford-maker). Neminatha is depicted in his haloed form directly above Ambika. He is flanked by his attendants, garland bearers and celestial musicians.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Ambika (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Grey chlorite |
| Brief description | A grey chlorite figure of the Goddess Ambika. This sculpture was produced during the 12th century in Odisha, India. |
| Physical description | The voluptuous goddess Ambika is depicted seated under a mango tree holding a child. She sits upon a double lotus pedestal throne beneath which a lion is seated. The lion is her vahanaor vehicle and is flanked by two kneeling worshippers to its left, these figures are possibly representative of the donors who commissioned this sculpture. Ambika is worshipped on behalf of mothers and infants, this is alluded to by the child that she holds, and the second child that stands beneath the throne reaching up to her. Ambika's left hand is protectively wrapped around the infant that she holds, whilst in her right hand she holds a mango branch. The mango has an iconographical association with rounded female forms, especially breasts, this is underscored by the similarity between the words for "mango" in Sanskrit (amra) and Hindi (amb, amba) and likewise the words for "mother" (amba and amma, respectively). |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | The Jain Goddess Ambika
1150–1200
Eastern Ganga period
Ambika is the goddess or yakshi worshipped on behalf of
mothers and infants. She is seated with her child beneath
a mango tree (associated with female fertility) and holds a
mango stem. Her second child, her sacred vehicle the lion,
and two worshippers appear below. She is also the helper
of the 22nd Jain saviour, Neminatha, whose haloed figure
can be seen sitting above.
Grey chlorite
Eastern India (Orissa)
Museum no. IS.61-1963 (06/06/2011) |
| Object history | The mango and its iconographical association with rounded female forms, especially breasts, is underscored by the similarity between the words for "mango" in Sanskrit (amra) and Hindi (amb, amba) and likewise the words for "mother" (amba and amma, respectively). In 1825 Andrew Stirling observed that many of the sculptures made of the local chlorite stone were the remains of demolished Jain temples, which had been collected from the Khandagiri Hill region of Odhisha (Skelton 1965, 40). This sculpture was purchased from Robert D.H. Bryden. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This sculpture is of the voluptuous Jain goddess Ambika, who is worshipped on behalf of mothers and infants. Here, she is shown seated on a double lotus pedestal throne beneath a mango tree. She protectively holds an infant with her left hand, whilst a second child stands on the lower freize reaching up to her. In her right hand, Ambika holds a mango branch.The mango is symbolically associated with rounded female forms, especially breasts. This association is underscored by the similarity between the Sanskrit and Hindi words for mango (amra and amb, amba) and mother (amba and amma). Ambika's vahana or vehicle is the lion, which is seen seated beneath the lotus pedestal throne. It is accompanied by the figures of two kneeling worshippers, who may be the donors who commissioned this sculpture. Ambika is the attendant deity associated with Neminatha, the 22nd Jain tirthanakara (ford-maker). Neminatha is depicted in his haloed form directly above Ambika. He is flanked by his attendants, garland bearers and celestial musicians. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.61-1963 |
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| Record created | May 24, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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