Nepalese Wooden Stele of Indra & his Consort

This wooden stele carved in very high relief shows Indra and his consort (probably Indrani on this occasion) each seated in postures of royal ease or rajalalitasana on a lotus throne. Indra is further supported by a recumbent elephant, and his consort is further supported by her own lotus dais. A lotus stem with an open bloom emerges from the consort’s left, and a lotus with a vajra resting atop is shown behind the couple. Both wear high, foliate, single-crested crowns. The scene is framed by an arched backing carved around the edge with lotus petals.

The presence of the vajra symbolises Indra’s ability to wield lightning as a weapon.

The whole has traces of polychrome.

We have dated the stele to the 17th century but as the work of Slusser (2010) has shown, Nepalese woodcarving can date to much earlier periods than first thought.

Indra is the Vedic god known as the ‘king’ of all the other gods, as well as the deity of war and of the sky. The Newar people of the Kathmandu Valley adopted Indra into their Hindu pantheon and exalted the deity as the giver of rain, Images like this of Indra rarely are found in India, but commonly are found in Nepal.

The statue was collected by the British travel writer and conservationist John Blower whilst living in Nepal in 1968.

The stele has a splendid patina and obvious age.