Mother Goddess (Matrika)

mid- 6th century

Not on view

Restituted

This artwork was restituted in November 2022. It is no longer in the museum’s collection.

This figure is one of a group of seven mother goddesses that sprang from an associated Hindu male god. Despite their alluring beauty, these matrikas represent dangerous and malevolent forces—the devourers of children and bearers of sickness and disease. Although they were integral to early temple iconographic schema, as seen at sixth-century Aihole, their power was so threatening that they were soon marginalized, consigned to dedicated shrines beyond city boundaries. The combined power of the matrikas is understood to be embodied in the mother goddess par excellence, Durga.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Mother Goddess (Matrika)
Period: Post-Gupta period
Date: mid- 6th century
Culture: India (Rajasthan, Tanesara)
Medium: Gray schist
Dimensions: H. 24 1/2 in. (62.2 cm); W. 9 in. (22.9 cm); D. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 1993
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Mold for Making Jewelry (Chhapa), Probably brass — Mold for Making Jewelry (Chhapa)
10th–11th century

Standing figure, Teotihuacan artist(s), Green schist, Teotihuacan — Standing figure
Teotihuacan artist(s)
350–600 CE

Chatelaine, Cut steel — Chatelaine
7th–19th century

Buddha, Schist, Pakistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, possibly Takht-i-bahi monastery, ancient region of Gandhara — Buddha
Pakistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, possibly Takht-i-bahi monastery, ancient region of Gandhara
3rd century

Standing Bodisattva Maitreya (Buddha of the Future), Schist, Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara) — Standing Bodisattva Maitreya (Buddha of the Future)
Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara)
ca. 3rd century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.