Head of a Yaksha, c. 125 BC. Northern India, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura, Shunga Period (c. 187-78 BC). Mottled red sandstone; overall: x 40 x cm (19 x 15 3/4 x 14 in.). Colossal statues of yakshas, male divinities who personify the productive forces of nature, were especially popular in the northern Indian region around the ancient city of Mathura. They were installed in shrines in parks and gardens, often associated with extraordinary trees. The red sandstone is from a nearby quarry, called Sikri.

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