TIBET, 15TH-16TH CENTURY

Three-faced, eight-armed Ushnishavijaya, goddess of longevity and the fulfillment of earthly desires, holds her six hands in various mudras, carrying a vishvavajra, a small Amitabha on a lotus, and arrow, a bow, a lasso and vase. Ushnishavijaya combines aspects of three goddesses manifest in her three faces, each of which is associated with a particular aspiration. She is often invoked in old age ceremonies such as the Bhimaratha ritual practiced by the Newar at the age of seventy-seven, in which people are prepared for the afterlife in the Western Paradise. While the carefully inlaid embellishments on her dhoti are a product of Indian influence, the lotus base, physique, facial features, and ornamentation are demonstrably Tibetan.

Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no. 24474.