Celestial court of Kamadeva
8th century
Gray schist
H. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm)
Pritzker Collection

Kamadeva is the god of desire, whose presence was considered auspicious in Hindu belief. In this panel, he sits in the prototypical posture of royal ease while enjoying a convivial drinking session. His two consorts Rati and Priti, the embodiment of pleasure, sit on either side of Kamadeva and tend to him. The same theme is repeated in two panels in situ in the mid- ninth-century Avantisvar temple, located southeast of Srinagar, the capital city of Kashmir.