Important Notice

BIHAR, 8TH - 9TH CENTURY
Phyllite
23.25 in (59.5 cm) high

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
The J C Tandan Collection
Thence by descent

Tara is the most venerated goddess in the Buddhist pantheon, and was introduced into Buddhist iconography following the Gupta period (6th century). She is often depicted holding a lotus, and adorned with jewellery, as seen in this sculpture. Her right hand assumes the varada mudra. She stands in sampada asana and her hair is tied up in an elegant coiffure. Her features and stout proportions suggest a blend of Pala and Orissan features. A section of a throne is visible behind her, and a stupa is seen to her right. She is flanked by two devotees; the one to the right in tribhanga pose assumes the namaskara mudra. Crowning the stele is a face, possibly a keertimukha.

The sculpture dates to the Pala dynasty (8th -13th century). "A number of Pala monarchs professed the Buddhist faith, undoubtedly one reason why Buddhism flourished especially in Bihar and Bengal during their reign (c. 750 - 1150). Not only did major monasteries benefit from their largesse, but one of the most influential, the Vikramasila monastery in Bihar, may well have been an imperial foundation." (Pal, Indian Sculpture Vol. II, p. 154)

BIHAR, 8TH - 9TH CENTURY
Phyllite
23.25 in (59.5 cm) high

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
The J C Tandan Collection
Thence by descent

Tara is the most venerated goddess in the Buddhist pantheon, and was introduced into Buddhist iconography following the Gupta period (6th century). She is often depicted holding a lotus, and adorned with jewellery, as seen in this sculpture. Her right hand assumes the varada mudra. She stands in sampada asana and her hair is tied up in an elegant coiffure. Her features and stout proportions suggest a blend of Pala and Orissan features. A section of a throne is visible behind her, and a stupa is seen to her right. She is flanked by two devotees; the one to the right in tribhanga pose assumes the namaskara mudra. Crowning the stele is a face, possibly a keertimukha.

The sculpture dates to the Pala dynasty (8th -13th century). "A number of Pala monarchs professed the Buddhist faith, undoubtedly one reason why Buddhism flourished especially in Bihar and Bengal during their reign (c. 750 - 1150). Not only did major monasteries benefit from their largesse, but one of the most influential, the Vikramasila monastery in Bihar, may well have been an imperial foundation." (Pal, Indian Sculpture Vol. II, p. 154)