Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c7.s4.3

c7.s4.3

FEMALE FIGURES—The female figurines in clay are much more impressive. They are heavily adorned with ornaments. In the case of the figure Dk 2384 found at Mohenjo-daro, on the head is a high fan-like projection which may be identified with *Opaśa* mentioned in the Rigveda as the mark of a beautiful woman, secured at its base by a flat band or fillet with pendant loop near the right ear. The braided locks (*Kaparda* of the Rigveda) and the ear-pendants are also indicated. In some other cases the ears have a conical cup or pannier on each side which may be the *Kurīra* of the Rigveda. Actual specimens of a cone and of fillets in gold have been found. Besides armlets (*Khādi*) the most elaborate ornaments are worn round the throat in the form of a tight choker and five other necklaces with schematic arrangement one within the other descending from the shoulders and touching the girdle below (a similar torso found by Mackay, pl. LXXV, 17). Four of the necklaces have elongated bead-pendants and the fifth, the longest, is stamped with rosettes marking it out as a lotus garland either real or imitated in gold. The wide triple girdle (*mekhalā*) with a buckle device to secure it on the front emphasises the feminine character of the figure. The portion below the thighs is missing. The pubic triangle is over-emphasised but actual nudity is not indicated. The eyes are indicated by round pellets, the nose is long and straight in a line with the forehead and the mouth is an appliqué strip of clay with a horizontal slit. The breasts are prominent swelling on the two sides of the necklaces. There is no doubt that much thought has gone into the ornamentation of the figure and the whole atmosphere round it is that of a deity. [Fig. 16]. Another example is a complete standing figure wearing the same ornaments but with pannier-like projections (*Kurīra*) on the two sides of the head, but having undigitated hands and feet. [Fig. 17]. If we compare these with the earliest mother goddess figurines from Mathura and Taxila [Fig. 18 a-b] firm links as to the same ideal type are present in these proto-historic and early historic female figurines. She seems to represent the Great Mother Goddess, *Mahī Mātā* (RV. V. 47. 1). Her worship not only in India but also in the ancient-most Iran prevailed. As a Goddess for the Asuras the Vedic and early literature speaks of her as *Māyā*, and for the gods as the divine mother Aditi (*Deva-Mātā*). Later in classical times she gave place to *Śrī* with a revised interpretation, being treated both as an independent goddess and the consort of Vishnu. In the Indus Valley figurines we occasionally find an infant at her breast or on the hip pointing to her motherhood aspect. The notion of fertility finds support in one specimen showing pregnancy. On a seal from Harappa a woman is represented with a plant coming out of her womb, a flamboyant symbol of fertility. The female figurines are generally undraped but in a couple of cases they wear a kilt-like skirt made of wool closely resembling the *kaunakes* worn by the early Sumerians and the proto-Elamites of Susa. There are some secular figurines also showing women kneading dough or holding a dish of cakes.