# Divine couple seated in a lotus blossom

- Date: early 1800s
- Medium: Gum tempera and gold on paper
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: Sheet: 13.3 x 9 cm (5 1/4 x 3 9/16 in.)
- Culture: Northern India, Pahari Region, Himachal Pradesh, Rajput Kingdom of Kangra
- Credit line: Bequest of Mrs. A. Dean Perry
- Museum: [Cleveland Museum of Art](https://clevelandart.org/art/1997.118)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/cma/1997.118/1997.118_web.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

A gigantic, thousand-petaled lotus flower provides an intimate setting for the lovers. They sit on the seed pod of another full-blown lotus flower, which indicates their transcendent nature by elevating them from the mire of the earth.

Shown with full face forward in all white, the four-armed male deity has the all-seeing third eye in his brow and holds only a manuscript. The red goddess on his lap grasps a lotus flower in one hand, which communicates her benign and peaceful nature. At the bottom are offerings of flowers, incense, oil lamps, and jeweled cups of pure water or liquor.