16/04/2026
Menaka and Shakuntala, Porcelain, made in Germany
This unusual porcelain Menaka and Shakuntala statue, in the style of the the famous Ravi Varma painting and oleograph, was made in Germany in the late 19th to early 20th century. German porcelain makers produced figurines of Hindu gods and goddesses for the Indian market, inspired by popular paintings of artists like Raja Ravi Varma. These realistic, three-dimensional representations were expensive and status symbols.
Shakuntala’s story is told in the epic poem Mahabharata. The porcelain figure depicts the moment after Shakuntala, caught up in reverie of her husband King Dushyanta, failed to greet Rishi Durvasa, who cursed her that the person she was thinking of would forget her. King Dushyanta indeed then failed to recognise her when she went to his palace. This piece portrays how Shakuntala, deeply disappointed, took refuge in her mother Menaka’s arms and was spirited away to the heavens.