**Originally Listed At $400**

South Asia, India, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. An intriguing hand-carved wooden relief panel of the Hindu goddess Durga. The panel is comprised of a singular piece of wood that forms a frame around the recessed goddess. Durga is relief carved upon a fierce looking lion with her multiple arms creating a visually interesting open work of overlapping layers. Her hands hold several attributes including a long sickle, a club or mace, and a lotus flower. She is wearing a skirt, an ornate headdress, and numerous pieces of jewelry, but her breasts are bare. She sits upon the back of her vahana, a lion. The wood has developed a lovely dark patina and this lovely piece may have once been displayed in a temple or a shrine. Size: 7.375" L x 1.5" W x 9.75" H (18.7 cm x 3.8 cm x 24.8 cm)

Durga is a warrior form of Parvati who combats evil demons while riding a lion or a tiger, and her multiple arms indicate protection from all directions. Usually depicted with a serene expression, she exudes both femininity and a warrior's ferocity with her many weapons. She is the embodiment of fearlessness and Durga means "invincible."

Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection, acquired 2000s

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#161101

Minor loss to lion toe otherwise relief is intact. Nicks, chips, losses to frame peripheries. Stable fissures. Old insect borehole on verso. Modern hardware hook. Great details and patina!