Serpent King (Nagaraja) Emerging from a Lotus
2nd century
Medium
Gray schist
Dimensions
22.9 × 25 × 3 cm (9 × 9 13/16 × 1 3/16 in.)
Classification
schist
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
153248
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Serpent King (Nagaraja) Emerging from a Lotus*, a captivating gray schist sculpture from the 2nd century, standing at 22.9 × 25 × 3 cm. Crafted by an unknown artist, this petite yet powerful piece hails from the Arts of Asia collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. The nagaraja, a mythical serpent king revered in ancient Indian traditions, rises gracefully from a blooming lotus, symbolizing divine emergence and protection. In Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain mythology, nagarajas were semi-divine guardians of water sources, treasures, and sacred sites, embodying fertility and the prima...
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...