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Unidentified Buddhist Goddess with eight arms and three heads, with base

Tibetan; Nepali

Artwork Details

Unidentified Buddhist Goddess with eight arms and three heads, with base
Tibetan; Nepali
copper? with blue paint for hair and red for lips
3 7/8 x 3 3/16 x 1 3/4 in. (10.0 x 8.2 x 4.6 cm)
Gift of Ellen and Richard Laing
2006/2.64A&B

Description

Physical Description:

A miniature figure of a tantric goddess, very finely cast by the cire perdue (lost wax) method. The goddess is shown seated in lalitasana pose ("royal ease," one knee bent and the other relaxes) on a lotus dais, which is separately cast. She has 8 arms which are in variants of vitarka mudra (the gesture of teaching). She has three heads, with the two lateral heads seen here as partial profiles; each wears the five-petal tiara of Tibetan Buddhist ritual. Her skirt is unusual, looking to be made of leaves, instead of the usual dhoti. Her hair is painted blue and her lips red.

Usage Rights:

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