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Lot Essay
The saptamatrika or "seven mothers," each of whom is the shakti, or female counterpart, of a god, were created by Durga to harness the energy of all female celestial beings to fight the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. The matrikas assisted Durga in her task, and after nine days of fighting, they defeated the demon and restored the heavens to the gods.
Here, three of the seven mothers are depicted seated next to a male deity, suggesting this work was a part of a larger grouping. Superbly cast in a rich chocolaty patina, the present work is emblematic of Pala style sculpture. For two closely related examples of figures with similar corporal form, jewelry and facial features, see U. von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp.282-283, figs.69C, 69D.
Here, three of the seven mothers are depicted seated next to a male deity, suggesting this work was a part of a larger grouping. Superbly cast in a rich chocolaty patina, the present work is emblematic of Pala style sculpture. For two closely related examples of figures with similar corporal form, jewelry and facial features, see U. von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp.282-283, figs.69C, 69D.