Nagarjunakonda: Dwarves

INDIA, Andhra Pradesh

Dwarf statues are rare at Nagarjunakonda but the examples here follow their southern Indian portrayal as round-bellied. The symmetrical pair are believed to have guarded the entrance of a temple or stupa gateway. They are regarded as deities of wealth, characterized with a large stack of coins tumbling from their head like hair braid and supported with one arm. The dwarf facing left has knitted eyebrows and a lotus-like cap covering its curly hair. He wears huge ear ornaments that drag down the lobes and ornament that crosses the chest and around the neck. The other dwarf wears a conch-shaped cap, smiling, while standing with one hand on his hip, similar to his companion.