This bust is a life sized carving, in the round. You can see damaged areas have erased details that would have included a fuller, articulated chest and more developed arms. It was found at the temple of 64 Yoginis in Jabalpur, in the state of Madhya Pradesh (central India).
A Yogini can embody a range of meaning from a female practitioner of yoga to a term of deference for a female spiritual teacher. Whatever the case may be, this statue embraces rounded shapes and a curved figure which seems to celebrate the female form. She is outfitted with a crown and decadent jewelry while her head hangs slightly to one side. Her eyes and forehead are relaxed but the corners of her mouth turn slightly upwards implying an expressive quality to her character.
For further reading about Yoga see Expedition Magazine article “Re-Orientating Yoga” by Sarah Strauss. In this article she describes her travel in India and insight onto the globalization of Yoga.
Penn Museum Object #29-64-249.
See this and other objects like it on Penn Museum’s Online Collection Database.
