Collection online

figure

• Object type

  • figure

• Museum number

  1830,0612.4

• Description

  Goddess. A standing figure of a female deity (Tārā) solid cast in bronze and gilded. The figure has a high tubular coiffure (jatamukuta) held in place by a medallion flanked by makara-s (water creatures). The medallion was probably set with stones, as were the eyes. The earlobes are elongated and the lower body dressed in a tight-fitting cloth knotted at the hips. The upper body is uncovered. The proper right hand is in varadamudrā (gesture of giving), the left hand in katakahastamudrā (the hand pose wherein the tips of the fingers are applied to the thumb so as to form a ring, as if to hold a flower). The two middle fingers of the right hand are missing as are toes from both feet.

  More 

• Culture/period

  • Anuradhapura
  • Buddhist

• Date

  • 8thC (circa)

• Production place

  • Made in: Sri Lanka
  • (Asia,South Asia,Sri Lanka)

• Findspot

  • Found/Acquired: Batticaloa, Found at an unknown place located between Trincomalee and Batticaloa. (near)
  • (Asia,Sri Lanka,Batticaloa)
  • Found/Acquired: Trincomalee (near)
  • (Asia,Sri Lanka,Eastern Province (Sri Lanka),Trincomalee District,Trincomalee)

• Materials

  • gold
  • bronze

• Technique

  • gilded
  • cast

• Dimensions

  • Height: 143 centimetres (not including plinth)
  • Width: 44 centimetres
  • Depth: 29.5 centimetres

• Bibliography

  • van Lohuizen-de Leeuw 1981 17, p. 25 and colour plate 17
  • Zwalf 1985 210
  • MacGregor 2010 54
  • von Schroeder 1990 73B-D, also p.236. (with an extensive list of further references up to the year 1986)
  • King 2000 frontispiece

• Location

  G33/Ind/Free

• Exhibition history

  Exhibited:

  1. 'The Art of Ancient Sri Lanka': exhibition at the Commonwealth Institute, London 17 Jul to 13 Sep, 1981. 2. 'Buddhism: Art and Faith': temporary exhibition at the British Museum, London, 1985.

• Science

  See investigations 

  Analysis date

  12 September 1989 - 1 November 1990
  

  Reason for analysis

  Scientific Examination

  Analysis title

  Sri Lankan bronze statuettes

  Analysis reference number

  PR05778

  About these records 

• Subjects

  • deity
  • bodhisattva

• Associated names

  • Representation of: Tārā

• Acquisition name

  • From: Sir Robert Brownrigg

• Acquisition date

  1830

• Acquisition notes

  G&R Letters on Antiquities (1757-1834); copy made in November 1847 in BM Central Archives, Original Papers (June 1830). To Mr Henry Ellis (Principal Librarian) from Sir Robert Brownrigg. Reports that the image 'was found in the North East part of Ceylon between Trincomalee and Batticalou'.

• Department

  Asia

• Registration number

  1830,0612.4