The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 12, 2024

Amorous Couple (Mithuna)

Amorous Couple (Mithuna)

400s

Did You Know?

The site of Ahichchatra retains ruins of a pyramid-shaped brick temple dedicated to Shiva.

Description

Amorous couples were among the most prevalent imagery on the exterior of sacred sites in early India. Their life-affirming imagery was considered auspicious. This roundel would have been part of a brick structure, since terracotta was typically used in the ornamentation of brick temples, instead of stone.
  • ?–1971
    (J.J. Klejman [1906–1995], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1971–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1971.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 59, no. 1 (January 1972): 3–46. Mentioned: p. 45, no. 137; Reproduced: p. 24, no. 137 www.jstor.org
    Pal, Pratapaditya. The Ideal Image: The Gupta Sculptural Tradition and Its Influence. New York: Asia Society in association with J. Weatherhill, 1978. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 30, p. 82
    Neils, Jenifer. The World of Ceramics: Masterpieces from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Museum in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1982. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 162, no. 166
  • The Ideal Image: The Gupta Sculptural Tradition and Its Influence. Asia House Galleries, New York City, NY (organizer) (October 5-December 3, 1978); Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX (January 1-February 25, 1979); The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (March 24-May 6, 1979).
    Year in Review: 1971. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 28, 1971-February 6, 1972).
  • {{cite web|title=Amorous Couple (Mithuna)|url=false|author=|year=400s|access-date=12 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1971.133