South Indian Vaishnavi Image

Fine, Bronze Figure of Vaishnavi

This very finely cast and expressive miniature bronze figure shows Vaishnavi, with two sets of arms. The upper arms hold a cakra and a sankha. The goddess stands on a lotus base.

The casting and detailing are excellent. This in one of the finest small bronzes that we have had. The detailing on the deity’s

dhoti – the rendering of the stripes – is particularly fine, as is the delicate way in which the jewellery has been depicted.

Vaishnavi is a

matrika goddess (one of a group of seven or eight goddesses usually depicted together) and is considered the shakti of Vishnu. The base suggests that the figure has come from a larger bronze and so might well have been part of a group. Old solder marks around the ankles suggest an old repair but these are minor.Provenance:

private collection, London.