Page 79 - Sporer Collection of Himalayan bronzes

35
A GILT BRONZE FIGURE OF DURGA
NEPAL, 16TH/17TH CENTURY

Striding in alidhasana with her sixteen hands
radiating about her in mudras and holding
various weapons and implements, clad in
long dhoti with incised borders, wearing
beaded necklaces and large round earrings,
the face with a gentle smile and downcast
expression centered by the third eye, her
hair pulled into a tall chignon secured
with a foliate tiara, backed by a pointed
nimbus
6Ω in. (16.5 cm.) high

$30,000-40,000

PROVENANCE:

The Sporer Collection, New
Jersey, acquired in London, 20
June 1972

PUBLISHED:

Himalayan Art Resource
(himalayanart.org), item no. 24048

The Warrior Goddess is the fearsome
demon-destroying form of Parvati, the
Daughter of the Himalayas. In her mythology,
she is associated with many different gods,
including Brahma, Vishnu and Krishna, while her
association with Shiva and Parvati is popular in
the Himalayan regions.
Compare the nimbus, crown, and the
modeling of the face and body with a seated
image of Durga in the Rubin Museum of Art
(himalayanart.org, item no. 65790).

THE SPORER COLLECTION OF HIMALAYAN SCULPTURE 77