Surya stele

Description

It is Surya, god of the Sun, who is represented on this stele. The god is depicted standing; his face, embellished with a mischievous smile, is topped by a heavy ornamented headdress. Adorned with finely chiseled jewelry and accessories, the god is also flanked by two blooming lotus flowers, nourished by the light of the sun god. His feet are shod with the boots characteristic of the god’s iconography. He stands on a chariot, driven by his coachman Aruna, represented at his feet, and pulled by seven hairs, here represented as galloping.

On either side of the god are various figures. On the left, Piṅgala is slightly plump and holds the stylus and inkwell to transcribe the good and bad deeds of men during the day’s race. His companion is Darkness. On the right are visible Daṇḍa, usually armed with a sword, guardian of the Sun’s abode, and his consort Light. The two wives of Sūrya finally, Aurora and Dusk, of smaller stature, draw with their bows strokes like so many rays of the sun. At the top of the stele, two archers defend the beginning and end of the day against the darkness.

This stele, of which only the top is missing, is distinguished by a remarkable mixture of stylistic sobriety and iconographic richness. Indeed, one notes a strong sense of detail, witnessing the refinement of Pāla art. The characters seem to stand out against the solid background. This last characteristic, as well as the elegance of the characters, probably indicates an early dating, possibly around the 10th century.

Provenance : Private Belgian collection.