c. 990

Musician

This small but exquisite musician, one of a pair, predates all known woodcarving from western and central India by at least three centuries. Originally this sculpture formed part of an elaborate wooden double door that protected the sanctum of the Chaturbhuj Temple, a shrine to the god Vishnu, which still stands near the small town of Isawal, north of the city of Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan. The musicians, one playing the flute and the other a cylindrical drum, resemble royal entertainers, but perform for a heavenly court. Holes remain in the top and bottom of each piece where they were once nailed to the lower third of the door, separated by recessed images of celestial women.