Artist: Unknown
Title: view of Shiva shrine
Material: Granite outcroping
Site: Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Current Location:
Period/Date: Ca. 7th century, under the Pallava dynasty
Iconography/Iconology:
Stylistic Comments: The exterior walls containing niches separated by
pilasters are another typical South Indian or Dravida style feature (Huntington,
AOAI, 310). The two side walls of the temple have six niches each,
three with sculptural panels and three without. The back wall has five niches
all containing sculpture. Male guardian figures appear at the corners of
each side while the central niches contain images of the more important
deities such as Vishnu, Siva, and so on (Huntington, AOAI, 310).
While the Durga shrine betrays a primarily female sculptural program, the
iconographic scheme in the Shiva shrine is predominantly male.
Huntington, Susan L.The Art of Ancient India, New
york, Tokyo: Weather Hill, 1985.
