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Lot Essay
Purneshvari, the Great Mother Goddess, occupied an important position within the religious landscape of Pala-period eastern India, where she was venerated across both Hindu and Buddhist communities under a variety of regional manifestations. This finely cast copper alloy sculpture presents the goddess enthroned in regal composure, seated with an infant upon her lap, embodying both maternal benevolence and divine authority. Her worn yet expressive face retains silver-inlaid eyes that continue to radiate a powerful presence, lending remarkable vitality to the image despite centuries of devotional use.
The sculpture is distinguished by its exceptionally elaborate throne, a feature that recalls some of the most sophisticated bronze productions of the early Pala period. The goddess is seated upon a projecting breakfront platform, while the architectural throne is animated with a rich array of mythical and auspicious creatures. Vyalas, makaras and hamsas populate the throne back, culminating in an ornate mandorla surmounted by an oval nimbus and a prominent kirttimukha or "Face of Glory" sheltered beneath a parasol. The intricacy of this framework reflects the flourishing sculptural tradition of northeastern India during the 9th and 10th centuries (see von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp. 256, 261 and 269, nos. 56A, 58B-G and 62G), when metalworkers translated the complexity of contemporary stone temple sculpture into bronze on an intimate scale.
Particularly noteworthy is the inclusion of Ganesha enthroned at the goddess's right side, an attribute that aligns Purneshvari with Shaivite traditions and emphasises her role within the broader Hindu devotional sphere. At the same time, surviving evidence suggests that her cult transcended sectarian boundaries. A closely related stone image in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (IS.71-1880), depicts the a four-armed goddess seated with an infant and flanked by Ganesha beneath a kirttimukha. The inscription on that sculpture invokes merit not only for the donor and relatives but also for siddhas and sramanas, illustrating the fluid interaction between Buddhist and Hindu beliefs in the Pala realm.
The present sculpture may also be compared with a bronze image of Parvati in the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad Collection, Kolkata (Huntington Archive no. 5659), which shares related iconographic and stylistic features. As a rare and evocative representation of the Mother Goddess, this work captures the syncretic religious environment and extraordinary artistic achievement of the Pala dynasty, one of the great centres of medieval Indian bronze casting.
The sculpture is distinguished by its exceptionally elaborate throne, a feature that recalls some of the most sophisticated bronze productions of the early Pala period. The goddess is seated upon a projecting breakfront platform, while the architectural throne is animated with a rich array of mythical and auspicious creatures. Vyalas, makaras and hamsas populate the throne back, culminating in an ornate mandorla surmounted by an oval nimbus and a prominent kirttimukha or "Face of Glory" sheltered beneath a parasol. The intricacy of this framework reflects the flourishing sculptural tradition of northeastern India during the 9th and 10th centuries (see von Schroeder, Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, pp. 256, 261 and 269, nos. 56A, 58B-G and 62G), when metalworkers translated the complexity of contemporary stone temple sculpture into bronze on an intimate scale.
Particularly noteworthy is the inclusion of Ganesha enthroned at the goddess's right side, an attribute that aligns Purneshvari with Shaivite traditions and emphasises her role within the broader Hindu devotional sphere. At the same time, surviving evidence suggests that her cult transcended sectarian boundaries. A closely related stone image in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (IS.71-1880), depicts the a four-armed goddess seated with an infant and flanked by Ganesha beneath a kirttimukha. The inscription on that sculpture invokes merit not only for the donor and relatives but also for siddhas and sramanas, illustrating the fluid interaction between Buddhist and Hindu beliefs in the Pala realm.
The present sculpture may also be compared with a bronze image of Parvati in the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad Collection, Kolkata (Huntington Archive no. 5659), which shares related iconographic and stylistic features. As a rare and evocative representation of the Mother Goddess, this work captures the syncretic religious environment and extraordinary artistic achievement of the Pala dynasty, one of the great centres of medieval Indian bronze casting.