A Spirit of Clouds and Waters

A Spirit of Clouds and Waters

Imagine the woman in the piece, Celestial Beauty (Apsara). Imagine her posing in front of the artist. Or maybe there was no model but it was merely a creation from the imagination of the artist. The dancing pose seems impossible to hold for an extended amount of time. Yet the sculptor has captured the essence of an elegant moving woman.  

Though little is known of the artist and the construction of Celestial Beauty, one can still develop a great understanding of the purpose and importance this piece creates. Along with the formation of other Apsaras during this time, it is reasonable to think that the artists are not only picturing these women in their head, but they are real women that lived during the 12th century. Although, when we think of the history and purpose of Apsaras as being manipulative and seductive, the artists have done the opposite and instead portray these women with grace, beauty, and movement.

The sculpture is made out of buff sandstone and it was created in the 12th century, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Celestial Beauty depicts a naked woman standing with one foot crossed over the other and one hand over her head. She has large eyes and ears, with very clear facial features. She has elongated eyebrows and her eyes seem to be closed. Jewelry covers most of her body, including her neck, arms, and ears. She holds, what seems to be, a writing utensil with her left hand. Parts of her body have designs, which creates a textured surface. These patterns could be tattoos that she is creating on her own body. The lower portion of her left leg is  missing. The whole piece itself seemed to be attached to something else. Perhaps it was stuck to a wall in a temple like other famous Apsaras. Nevertheless, the sculpture gives a clear understanding in how the body is shaped. This 12th-century figure came from a North Indian Hindu temple, in what's now Uttar Pradesh. An Apsara is a female spirit of clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist culture. They live in heaven but also come down to earth.^[1]  They are known to be supernatural beings who appear as young and beautiful women, and also skillful in the art of dancing. ^[2] 

Having minimal knowledge of Apsaras, led to a different interpretation of the sculpture. At first glance, the naked figure looked like an average women and not a supernatural spirit. Through observation you can tell that the Apsara is no average being but definitely a goddess of some sort. Her very defined features are hard to miss. Her face contains large eyes and lips. Her body is beautifully shaped with round hips and an extremely thin waist. The patterns on her stomach and thighs show dissimilarity in an average women’s body. The Apsaras wear expensive adornments: earrings, chains, bangles, armlets, and rings.^[3]  The workmanship of the jewelry on the figure looks like high quality. She has a hanging chain around her neck and attached is a long piece that hangs down to her stomach. She wears detailed earrings and a lifelike armlet. “The goddesses would appear to men with their torsos bare and their wrists and ankles adorned with gold…the eye-catching jewelry and costume emphasize surface ornament-especially as a contrast to the smooth, abundant flesh.” ^[4] Apsaras can be seen as a representation of a man’s perfect women.