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Kali

900sā€“1000s

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

The female aspect of Shiva, the goddess Parvati, has her own cycle of myths, and she herself emanates into different forms. Some branches of Hinduism consider the goddess to be the supreme creator divinity herself, who generated all the other gods, including Shiva. This bronze sculpture could have been affiliated with either branch. Kali is the wrathful form of the goddess generated in the midst of a battle with a demon that the gods failed to conquer. Kali was to drink his blood before any drop fell to ground, or else a new demon would instantly be generated. The demons are metaphors for human vices, such as egotistic pride and arrogance.

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  • Title: Kali
  • Date Created: 900sā€“1000s
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 46.7 x 20.4 x 15.4 cm (18 3/8 x 8 1/16 x 6 1/16 in.); Base: 11.4 x 15.2 cm (4 1/2 x 6 in.)
  • Provenance: Mrs. R. Henry [Emery May Holden] Norweb [1895-1984], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Sculpture
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1956.7
  • Medium: bronze
  • Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Culture: South India, Tamil Nadu, Chola period (900-13th century)
  • Credit Line: The Norweb Collection
  • Collection: Indian Art
  • Accession Number: 1956.7
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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