Indian
Vessel, ca. 200 BCE
Not on view
Grayware
Dimensions15 1/2 × 4 1/2 in.
Gift of Barry Fitzmorris, 2011.251
This ancient Indian vessel was likely used during harvest festivals and rituals as an offering to ensure the fertility of the earth. The lower register, or level, depicts yakshas and yakshis, male and female nature divinities who represent the bounty of the earth. The upper registers are filled with blossoming lotus flowers and fern leaves. Clay sculptural tradition in northeast India can be traced back to the 4th century BCE. It reached its developmental height in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE, when these vessels were made.
