The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Agni, God of Fire

Agni, God of Fire

c. 1000
Overall: 73 x 40.6 cm (28 3/4 x 16 in.)
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

This sculpture is on the cover of the Penguin Classics edition of the Hindu "Laws of Manu."

Description

The Hindu god Agni, with flames rising behind him, is the figural form of the sacrificial fire, central to religious practice in India since the early second millennium BC. Agni’s mount is the goat, and together they preside over the Southeast. In the upper registers, Brahmans perform fire sacrifice, preach to disciples, and practice "hot yoga."
  • Sir Eric Geddes [1875–1937]
    ?-1955
    (Spink & Son, Ltd., London, UK, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1955-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • “Part II. Annual Report Issue for the Year 1955.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 43, no. 6, 1956, pp. 131–167. Mentioned: p. 142 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 758 archive.org
  • Stories From Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).
    Art: The International Language. The Cleveland Museum of Art (October 2-November 4, 1956).
  • {{cite web|title=Agni, God of Fire|url=false|author=|year=c. 1000|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1955.51