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The Goddess Durga Killing the Buffalo Demon (Mahishasura Mardini)

Period:
Pala period
Date:
12th century
Culture:
Bangladesh or India
Medium:
Argillite
Dimensions:
H. 5 5/16 in. (13.5 cm)
Classification:
Sculpture
Credit Line:
Purchase, Diana L. and Arthur G. Altschul Gift, 1993
Accession Number:
1993.7
  • Description

    This sculpture portrays the sixteen-armed form of the goddess Durga as the slayer of the buffalo demon Mahisha. The array of arms, each displaying a weapon, creates a kinetic energy in the image, no doubt all the more powerful when contemplated in a shrine dimly illuminated by oil lamps. This work is among the finest Indian miniature culptures of the Pala-Sena period.

60005542

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