Provenance:
Sotheby's, New York, December 5, 1992, no. 104
American Private Collection
This image of Bhairava stands within an architectural stele carved with flying celestial figures, lion-griffins, and scrolling foliage. The relationship between the commanding central figure and the richly ornamented surround reflects the refinement of eastern Indian stone carving during the 12th century while preserving a wealth of iconographic and decorative detail.
Bhairava is a fearsome form of the Hindu deity Shiva, a manifestation representing the destructive and terrifying aspects of Shiva's power.
He is sometimes depicted as an ascetic adorned with a garland of skulls and accompanied by a dog, symbolizing his power over the material world and death. The name "Bhairava" itself means "frightful" or "terrible," and he is also known as Kala Bhairava, representing the terrifying aspect of time and destruction.
Bhairava stands in tribhanga on a lotus pedestal, his right hand holding a kapala (skull cup), the left hand formerly holding a khatvanga (staff). His face has a terrifying expression with a short curled beard, moustache, bared fangs, bulging eyes, flaming eyebrows, and a third eye on his forehead. He wears a long garland around his neck, a short dhoti incised with foliate motifs, a belt suspending beaded festoons beneath his rounded belly, and a serpent upavita. A transparent sash incised with rosettes falls from his left shoulder, while a thick foliate collar with tiger-claw pendants, naga earrings, and a fragmentary crown complete his attire.
The divinity is flanked by two lively male attendants. The sides of the stele are richly carved with lion-griffins trampling elephants and scrolling foliage, the arched top is decorated with a kirttimukha mask flanked by two flying garland-bearing apsaras.
