The Hindu Deity Parvati

The Hindu Diety Parvati 1050 -1100 Bihar India - Chlorite Stone about 48" high

Detail showing Ganesha

OK, I passed my first Asian Art Museum docent training test.  When I opened the test, I looked at a 20 point question and said to myself -- oh oh not good.  The question related to Indian deities and the symbols associated with them.  I had only casually studied them.  

So I spent my lunch break going up to the gallery to study the next 70 pieces for the next test.  I was looking at this image of Parvati.  Parvati is the wife of Shiva and the mother of the god Ganesha.  Ganesha has an elephant head.  They told us to read the "didactics"  so I read it carefully.  It said there was a small  figure of Ganesha next to Parvati's right foot.  I took another look and there he was!

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a lion beneath Parvati

October 27, 2011:  Well I had to go and research the question about Parvati's animal mount.  It seems Parvati is associated with either a tiger or lion.  I took a close look at the sculpture again and voila - a lion seems to be beneath her!  Thanks for the question, Chris.

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