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7. Revanta India, Pala 11th century Black basalt 43 cm. x 60 cm. |
Revanta is the youngest son of the Hindu sun god Surya and his wife Sanjna. He is a divine hunter and king of the Guhyakas. In East India and Gujarat he is also worshipped as a guardian deity of warriors and horses, and is thought to protect mankind against the dangers of the forest. This relief depicts Revanta hunting on horseback, preceded and followed by Danda and Pingala, marching in the same direction. In the background are two of Revanta’s attendants, one bearing a parasol, the other approaching the god with a wine jar in his hand. Revanta wears a dhoti and a girdle and has high boots similar to those of Surya. He gathers his reins in his left hand and holds a cup of wine in his right. One figure carries a bow and arrows and a number of animals are being trampled beneath the horses’ hooves. In the relief’s lower register is a hunting scene, accompanied by dance and music. From left to right are a running deer, an attendant carrying a dead boar on his shoulders, a musician, a dancer, three drummers and a man playing cymbals. The Pala kings founded a large number of important sanctuaries, among them famous sites in Bodhgaya, Nalanda and Kurkihar, and established one of the richest and most prolific artistic traditions in all Asia. The elaborate rendering of the ornaments Revanta and his follower wear is characteristic of Pala sculpture of the eleventh century. At that time the image of Revanta, which is rarely found, became more popular. The present sculpture, created with a sense of expressive dynamism and intended to be viewed frontally, is less ornate than later examples. The use of hard dark basalt is also typical of the period. Provenance: Private collection, Canada. Art Loss Register Certificate, Reference S00021601. P. Chandra, Stone Sculpture in the Allahabad Museum, Chicago, 1965, no.206. K. Deva & S.D. Trivedi, Stone Sculpture in the Allahabad Museum, II, New Delhi, 1966, fig.94. R.D. Banerij, Eastern Indian School of Medieval Sculpture, New Delhi, 1981, p.181, no.LXV. Asthana Shashi P., Palast der Gotter. 1500 Jahr Kunst aus Indien, Museum für Indische Kunst, Berlin, 1991, p.211, no.144. |