Description
A SCHIST TEMPLE COLUMN DEPICTING PURNESHVARI, MOTHER GODDESS, PALA PERIOD, 11TH CENTURY India. Of vertical form and carved in two sections, the Mother Goddess Purneshvari seated in lalitasana on a double lotus base, holding a lotus stem in one hand, and supporting an infant, perched on her lap, with the other, all under a double arch surmounted by a kirtimukha and supported on two pillars. A large matka (pot) to her feet. The deity adorned with beaded jewelry and carved with a serene expression on her face, the hair neatly piled and pushed away from the face with a bejeweled tiara. Provenance: A private Spanish collection. Collection of Carlos Cruañas Dalmau, Barcelona, Spain, acquired from the above in the 1970s. Condition: Good condition, commensurate to age. Minor wear, some losses, few chips to the edges, signs of weathering and erosion, and natural imperfections. Mounted together with drilled apertures fitted with metal plugs. Weight: 36.9 kg (together, incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 52 cm (together, excl. stand), 54.5 cm (together, incl. stand) The Mother Goddess was popularly worshipped under a variety of local names throughout India. During the Pala period (ca.760-1142 A.D.) in eastern India, Purneshvari was venerated by both Buddhists and Hindus. In Buddhist mythology, she may be associated with Hariti. Hariti was a child-devouring ogress who is said to have been converted from her cannibalistic habits by the Buddha to become a protectress of children. He hid the youngest of her own 500 children under his begging bowl, and thus made her realize the sorrow she was causing other parents. The vessel depicted in this sculpture may be a reference to this narrative. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related image of Durga, in the collection of the Patna Museum, illustrated by Claudine Bautze-Picron in Le culte de la Grande Deesse au Bihar meridional du VII au XII siècle, fig. 14. Compare a related image of Purneshvari, 12th century, 119 cm tall, in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number IS.71-1880.
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A SCHIST TEMPLE COLUMN DEPICTING PURNESHVARI, MOTHER GODDESS
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