South Asia, India, ca. 18th to 19th century CE. This is a lovely cast brass statue of the Hindu goddess Parvati, the two-armed consort to Shiva, standing on a discoidal base with a lotus pedestal. She is portrayed as a young woman with a curvaceous body, bare breasts, and bangles on her arms as she holds her hands up in a dynamic pose. Her sensitive visage features almond-shaped eyes beneath an arched brow, full cheeks, and large-lobes with piercings for earrings. Parvati is the goddess of love, fertility, and devotion as well as the wife of the god Shiva who is simultaneously understood as the destroyer, regenerator, and protector of the universe and all life forms. Parvati is regarded as the mother goddess of Hinduism, and together with Saraswati (goddess of learning and knowledge) and Lakshmi (goddess of wealth and prosperity) she is part of the Tridevi or trinity of goddesses. This is a lovely statue that may have been part of a personal shrine or temple. Size: 3.75" L x 7" W x 10" H (9.5 cm x 17.8 cm x 25.4 cm)

The Hindu goddess Parvati, also known as Uma, daughter of the mountains, is traditionally understood as the consort of Shiva and is usually presented as a beautiful woman without any superfluous limbs, as we see in this example. When she finally attracted Shiva, after a long and physically grueling courtship, he shared with her the secrets of the world, a conversation that would lead to the dispersal of this elite knowledge amongst the wise. At first Parvati, like most female deities (shakti), was viewed as a minor deity. However, between the 5th and 13th centuries, Parvati became a subject of worship in her own right rather than a mere consort to a male deity, with temples erected in her honor.

Provenance: private Lumberton, Texas, USA collection, acquired before 2010

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#169975

Surface pitting and nicks to high pointed areas and small tear to periphery of base, otherwise intact and very good. Some casting imperfections and areas of dark toning and patina.