Door Guardian, Mahakala (800s): Art, History and Details

Door Guardian, Mahakala (800s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The natural stance of this richly adorned figure indicates that he served as an attendant: the face turns to his right, while his midsection turns to the left, and the weight is on his right leg. A plain ovoid halo indicates that he is divine. The broken right hand may have held an implement or weapon that would aid in a more precise identification.

Object facts

• Title: Door Guardian, Mahakala
• Date: 800s
• Culture: Indonesia, Central Java, Chandi Suko, 9th century
• Type: Sculpture
• Technique: volcanic stone
• Dimensions: Overall: 61.3 x 32.4 cm (24 1/8 x 12 3/4 in.)
• Collection: Javanese Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1980.203

A detail from the museum

The crossed chest ornament, called a "channavira" in Sanskrit, denotes power and valor.

Collection credit

Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski

Further reading listed by the museum

• Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1980.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 68, no. 6, 1981, pp. 163–219.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.