A singular selection of Indian ritual bronze and metal sculptures will be on view at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) from April 10 through January 16, 2012. “Faces of Devotion: Indian Sculpture from the Figiel Collection” presents nearly 40 dramatic sculptures of Hindu gods, goddesses, animal spirits and deified heroes as depicted in the folk traditions of western and southern India. These works, dating from the 1500s to the 1800s, are exquisite examples of vernacular folk art and offer unique insight into the region’s compelling iconography, craftsmanship and ritual.
Widely regarded as the finest collection of its kind, the Dr Leo S. Figiel collection of Indian sculpture was donated to the Peabody Essex Museum in 2006, augmenting the museum’s extensive collection of contemporary and traditional Indian art.
“Faces of Devotion” was organized by guest curator Cathleen Cummings, assistant professor of art history at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a scholar with firsthand knowledge of deity worship in India. With an emphasis on masks and heads †compelling with their large, wide-open eyes †the exhibition draws attention to the visual exchange between God and devotee, the act of seeing and being seen that is a fundamental component of Hindu devotion.
Pan-Indian gods, such as Vishnu, Shiva and Devi, are worshipped and celebrated alongside a host of deities with local and regional significance. Bronze masks and sculptures play a central role in devotional practice. They aid in focusing the devotee’s attention by giving physical form to unseen gods and invisible forces. In household shrines and public temples, these sculptures and the deities they represent are often treated in the manner of honored guests.
In the morning, they are gently “awakened,” bathed with perfumed water, dressed in fine cloth and adorned with jewelry and fresh garlands. To delight their senses, incense is burned, a bell is rung, a lamp is waved before their eyes and food is symbolically offered, all before the household begins the day’s activities.
Devotional bronzes, whether cast as masks, plaques or three-dimensional sculpture, exude personality and serve the dual purpose of being the focal point of a shrine and a mobile spiritual effigy in ceremonies. “Faces of Devotion” introduces visitors to an array of revered Indian deities, from Hanuman the monkey god and Panjurli the wild boar to the warrior-goddess Durga and the all-powerful Shiva.
The Peabody Essex Museum is on East India Square. For information, 866-745-1876 or www.pem.org .
