Seal
6th century-7th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The oval copper seal has a finger-loop at the back. The intaglio relief depicts Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of good fortune and beauty, standing on a lotus coming out of stylized waves of waters, while two elephants, each holding a pot in their trunk, and, each standing on a lotus shown on artistically drawn creepers, lustrate with water (laksmi-abhiseka). On either side the stylized mountains are shown which may represent the Himalayas, and in that case the waves may represent the river Ganges. Both the Himalaya mountains and the Ganges represent the holy land of Aryavarta. But Lakshmi was not born from the Ganges, she came out of the milk-ocean when it was churned by the Gods and demons.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cast and engraved copper alloy. |
| Brief description | Copper seal of Lakshmi, negative mould found in the Ganges canal between Hardwar & Kankhale, North India, 5th-6th century. |
| Physical description | The oval copper seal has a finger-loop at the back. The intaglio relief depicts Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of good fortune and beauty, standing on a lotus coming out of stylized waves of waters, while two elephants, each holding a pot in their trunk, and, each standing on a lotus shown on artistically drawn creepers, lustrate with water (laksmi-abhiseka). On either side the stylized mountains are shown which may represent the Himalayas, and in that case the waves may represent the river Ganges. Both the Himalaya mountains and the Ganges represent the holy land of Aryavarta. But Lakshmi was not born from the Ganges, she came out of the milk-ocean when it was churned by the Gods and demons. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Below, the legend on the seal, in Brahmi characters and Sanskrit, reads:
Text: sri-vahantapa-visay-adhikaranasya
|
| Gallery label | 3.Seal of a Frontier Warden with the
Hindu Goddess Lakshmi
400–700
Copper alloy
Northern India
Found between Hardwar and Kankhale, Uttar Pradesh
Given by the Royal Asiatic Society
Museum no. IM.496-1924(06/06/2011) |
| Object history | Lent by the Royal Asiatic Society of London to the India Museum. Transferred to South Kensington Museum in November 1879. Renumbered in 1924. |
| Production | Found in the Ganges canal between Hardwar and Kankhale, North India. On the basis of letter formation in the inscription Dr Sayantani Pal suggests that a 5th-6th century date is most likely. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Bibliographic reference | Guy, John, Indian Temple Sculpture, London, V&A Publication, 2007, p.160, pl.181.ISBN 9781851775095. |
| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.496-1924 |
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| Record created | July 11, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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