A male nature or tutelary deity of South Asian religious traditions, frequently represented in early Indian and Southeast Asian sculpture.
A yaksha is a male nature or tutelary deity found across South Asian religious traditions. Yakshas became important subjects in early Indian sculpture and later Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain contexts. Their imagery is often associated with fertility, wealth, landscape, guardianship, and abundance.
Etymology
From Sanskrit yaksha.
Sculptor Notes
Yaksha figures are useful studies in monumental presence. Broad masses, frontal organization, and compressed power can create architectural weight even at modest scale.
References
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/38293; https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/38475; https://www.metmuseum.org/es/essays/the-nature-deities-of-early-south-asia