Ajanta Cave 16: Mithuna Couple and Dwarf
Stone
Ajanta Cave 16: Mithuna Couple and Dwarf
INDIA, Maharashtra, Aurangabad
These bracket figures are carved on the ceiling beams where they join with the column capitals. On the left is a dwarf who squats on his haunches with both hands on his knees. He is rotund and sturdy-looking and wears strings of ornaments across the chest. On the right is a mithuna couple. The male figure has a large topknot, while the female figure wears a head scarf and is adorned with gems and pearls. They are reclined together in a casual embrace, and appear relaxed and at ease. The image exhibits a graceful aesthetic and the style is typical of the 5th century.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E, page 37.
Cite this article:
Hsingyun, et al. "Ajanta Cave 16: Mithuna Couple and Dwarf." Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E, vol. 5, 2016, pp. 37.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Peter Johnson, Mankuang, Susan Huntington, Gary Edson, and Robert Neather. 2016. "Ajanta Cave 16: Mithuna Couple and Dwarf" In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E, 5:37.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Johnson, P., Mankuang, Huntington, S., Edson, G., & Neather, R.. (2016). Ajanta Cave 16: Mithuna Couple and Dwarf. In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E (Vol. 5, pp. 37).
@misc{Hsingyun2016,
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E},
pages = 37,
title = {{Ajanta Cave 16: Mithuna Couple and Dwarf}},
volume = 5,
year = {2016}}
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves A-E},
pages = 37,
title = {{Ajanta Cave 16: Mithuna Couple and Dwarf}},
volume = 5,
year = {2016}}