God Shiva Seated with the Seven Mother Goddesses (Saptamatrika)
10th century
Medium
Sandstone
Dimensions
36.3 × 100.7 × 10.3 cm (14 3/8 × 39 5/8 × 4 1/16 in.)
Classification
stone
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
130624
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Across India, the seven mother goddesses (saptamatrikas) are the personified powers (shakti) of the principal male gods, whom they energize. Here, these warrior deities have been invoked for their primary role: to help the goddess Durga destroy demons. The mothers are shown dancing in victory, drunk with the blood of vanquished demons. Shiva is featured at the left playing the veena, a stringed instrument. The skeletal goddess on the far right is Chamunda, the goddess of destruction and death.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...