A BLACKSTONE STELE OF NAGARAJAS

KASHMIR, 9TH/10TH CENTURY

Footnotes

克什米爾 九/十世紀 黑石那伽蛇王像

Nagas appear frequently in Buddhist literature and art, represented as autochthonous, anthropomorphic serpent beings said to inhabit bodies of water and the roots of great trees, often guarding hidden treasures. In one instance, Buddha is said to have entrusted his teaching of the "Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Lines" (Satasahasrikaprajnaparamita) to their safekeeping under the sea (Buswell Jr. & Lopez, "Nagas", in The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism).

This rare stone stele depicts two kings of the serpent realm (nagarajas), who are said to rule from magnificent underwater palaces and possess a range of magical powers, including masquerading as humans. There are eight great naga kings in total, which is suggested by the pair's cobra hoods, each consisting of seven heads representing the other kings. Their pointed crowns, musculature, and other stylistic features compare with a 9th-century Kashmiri masterpiece of Harihara in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (5835) and a stele of Shiva and Parvati in the Cincinnati Art Museum (2002.496).

Provenance:
Private European Collection, acquired in 1989