Sandstone fragment of a doorjamb

From Central India
Gupta period, 5th- 6th century AD

With floriate scroll and ganas

This fragmentary doorjamb, from the doorway of an early temple, is a wonderful example of the finest workmanship of the Gupta period (AD 320-550). The whole relief is divided vertically into two planes. At the bottom of the section on the proper right squats a fat dwarf, probably a yaksha. He holds a floral scroll which issues from his mouth. The scroll itself is imbued with life and movement and is emblematic of the vitality associated with the god whose image would have been placed inside the temple just beyond the doorway. That the god was Shiva, one of the great deities of Hinduism, is suggested by the dwarf-life figures on the rest of the jamb. These are ganas, the horde of small demons and spirits who are part of the army or troop of Shiva.