220 - STANDING DURGA SLAYING THE BUFFALO DEMON, INDIA 19TH CENTURY

STANDING DURGA SLAYING THE BUFFALO DEMON, INDIA 19TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 12,6 cm Wide 9,5 cm Depth 6,5 cm Weight: 488 grams A bronze image of Durga in her victorious form as Mahishasuramardini, the goddess standing dynamically above the buffalo demon Mahisha. Multiple arms radiate around her body and carry martial attributes, including sword and shield, while the compact group is framed by an architectural surround. The buffalo and emerging anthropomorphic demon animate the lower register and make the narrative immediately recognisable. The subject derives from the Devi Mahatmya, in which Durga destroys the shape-shifting buffalo demon after the gods prove unable to defeat him. The image therefore expresses the triumph of divine energy over chaos and is among the most enduring heroic themes in Hindu art. Despite its portable scale, the bronze conveys considerable movement through the goddess's spreading arms, forceful stance and openwork silhouette. Wear has softened some finer details, but the essential iconography and vigorous character remain clear.