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Durga as Slayer of the Buffalo Demon Mahishasura

14th–15th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 252
This eighteen-armed version of the goddess Durga originally stood on a pedestal upon which she vanquished the buffalo demon Mahishasura, trampling him with one foot while transfixing him with Shiva’s trident. This iconography is the supreme expression of the power of this goddess, “the Unassailable, the Unconquerable.”

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Durga as Slayer of the Buffalo Demon Mahishasura
  • Date: 14th–15th century
  • Culture: Nepal
  • Medium: Gilt copper alloy, inlaid with semiprecious stones
  • Dimensions: H. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm); W. 8 in. (20.3 cm); D. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Alice and Nasli M. Heeramaneck, 1986
  • Object Number: 1986.498
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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