Kubera

Kubera, the god of wealth and prosperity, is the guardian of the North. His bare body is dominated by a voluminous stomach that rests against the left thigh. The corpulent divinity is seated in bhadrasana, on a high but plain pedestal. Both the arms are lost but were originally raised apart and possibly holding a deep bowl, a characteristic feature of the patravahaka yaksha. This theme is reckoned with the one executed at Pitalkhora.

Over his short dhoti a cloth-girdle is seen running across the left knee. A fold of flesh connects the stomach to the chest, the body barely able to cope with its enormous burden. Between the gently parted lips are seen evenly arranged tooth. This portrait image bears the majestic quality of the deity of opulence. The treatment of necklace of twisted band of pearls, curled hair locks, bemused eyes and bow-like bushy moustache succeeds in typifying the images as the product of Mathura art.

This image of Kubera was discovered at Ahichchhatra, a site identified with the capital of ancient Panchala. However, stylistically one can assert that it was executed at Mathura. Sculptures of Mathura origin have been found from Taxila in the north - west and Chandraketugarh in the east, suggesting widespread acceptance of Mathura art during this period.