The Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon (Mahisasura Mardini)
The multi-armed Durga tramples the slain buffalo with her raised leg while plunging her trident into the human form of the demon Mahisha seen emerging from the neck of the beast. Her vehicle, the lion, joins in the fight, mauling the buffalo from behind. In this celebratory icon, designed to occupy an exterior niche in a Hindu temple, Durga is honored by garland-bearing celestial attendants (gandharvas).
Artwork Details
- Title: The Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon (Mahisasura Mardini)
- Date: 10th century
- Culture: India (Rajasthan)
- Medium: Sandstone
- Dimensions: H. 9 in. (22.9 cm); W. 6 in. (15.2 cm); D. 3 in. (7.6 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Gift of George D. Pratt, 1933
- Object Number: 33.65.2
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Eastern India, Bihar, probably Nalanda
7th–early 8th century
Cambodia or Vietnam
mid-7th century
China
ca. 550–560
Cambodia or Vietnam
late 7th–early 8th century
Vietnam or Southern Cambodia
mid- 7th century
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