Shiva and Parvati sculpture
A History of the World in 100 Objects
Introduction
For centuries the British have been fascinated by the cultures of India. In 2001 nearly 5% of the population of England and Wales stated that their family origins were in the Indian subcontinent. For the 18th century European, the most intriguing mystery of India was Hinduism. Why were some Hindu temples richly decorated with erotic sculpture? Where Christian god endured unbearable suffering, Hindu gods seemed to rejoice in sex. But around 1800 one man, Charles Stewart, decided to explain to the British that Hinduism should be seriously studied and greatly admired. As part of his campaign, he collected and displayed pieces of ancient temple sculpture which are now on display at the British Museum.
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