India, Kashmir / 1000s
Goddess Siddhalakshmi
Goddess Siddhalakshmi
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Goddess Siddhalakshmi as sculpture (India, Kashmir · 1000s).
WHY IT’S INTERESTING
In tantric texts, this goddess is described as white.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as bronze.
The museum's collection notes: This specific goddess with five heads and ten arms is described in Hindu ritual handbooks from Kashmir. She is white in color and "rests on a lotus and Shiva." Her left hands hold, from top to bottom: an elephant goad, manuscript, noose (broken), the gift-giving gesture, and a hatchet. In her right hands are a sword, trident, skull staff, skull cup, and the gesture of protection. These objects reveal the awe-inspiring extent of her knowledge, skill, and power to defeat enemies on behalf of her devotees.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtGoddess SiddhalakshmiOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.