This library is built in the open.
If you spot an error, have a suggestion, or just want to say hello — we’d love to hear from you.
Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis sandstone relief depicts a central couple in a face-to-face embrace; the male is bearded, wearing jewelry, and is positioned with his genitalia touching the female. To the left, a woman stands with her hand raised near the couple, while to the right, another figure stands, and at the bottom, two smaller, crouched figures complete the composition. The figures are carved with rounded, smooth forms, typical of the Chandela style, with elaborate hairstyles and necklaces. The entire scene is set against a tan, weathered stone background, with additional small, indistinct figures carved into the ornamental frieze above.
This sculpture is part of the Chandela dynasty temple architecture at Khajuraho, which frequently incorporates mithuna (erotic) imagery, interpreted by scholars variously as representations of tantric practices, auspicious symbols of fertility, or testaments to the worldly desires integrated into the Hindu devotional path.
Kama Sutra
The relief illustrates the erotic postures and social dynamics of coupling described in classical Indian erotic literature.
Object
Engraving
sculpture
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
India-5607
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
2448 × 3264 px
8323f8ceb1beea0c815d3f3ff75f5870c7a6ab63
May 18, 2013
April 17, 2026
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 19, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.