The Lady with a Parrot is an example of architectural sculptures which often adorned the pillars and columns of public places, temples, buildings, etc. It is from the Gupta Period, which was considered the ‘golden age’ for art, literature, music, and dance. It was also in this period that the theme of ‘Kama’ or desire was used as aesthetic inspiration by artisans, who had elevated the role of pleasure to a philosophical goal of life. The sculptural form of the Lady is a meditation on desire and beauty, the voluptuousness of her curves are clearly defined, the folds in her drapes are thin and fine almost as if to expose a translucency of the material, the form of adornment the hair up-do draw from Hellenistic tradition of coils and twists. One of the key features in this sculpture is the presence of the parrot, who is the vahan or vehicle of Kama Deva, the god of desire. In the Gupta Period there were certain pleasure activities which were part of the daily routines of the Nagarkas, or Mauryan government officials. One among these was training parrots to repeat certain words and phrases, and sometimes pieces of cleverly crafted poetry. These were considered leisure activities and as such associated with pursuit of Kama, or desire.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
10:00am - 7:00 pm
GET MUSEUM DIRECTIONS
Special after-hour ticket price after 05:00 pm
