Amaravati: Yaksini

INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati; Satavahana period

This relief was unearthed at Amaravati and depicts a yaksini. She is represented here as an auspicious forest spirit in one of the earliest depictions of the tribhanga posture. The figure stands sideways with one leg bent and waist swaying, while the head is turned to one side. One hand covers a breast while the other is raised to pull down a blossom on a stem that emerges from behind her head. The curves of the composition are echoed by those of the keyhole arch in which the figure is framed, while the floral theme is repeated in the decoration at its apex and near the foot. The archway is an example of the Kudu arch unique to Indian Buddhist architecture and is balanced on patterned supports.