Untitled

Unknown

Early 20th century · Distemper and gold on cloth · Asian Art

Parvati, the consort of the Hindu deity Shiva, can assume many forms. Her most prolific manifestation is as the supreme goddess Durga, who was empowered by the male gods to defeat the demonic forces at large in the world. Here we see Parvati appearing in a five-faced and ten-armed form as the goddess Tripurasundari, also referred to as Purnacandi in Nepal. This form embodies the power of the goddess as the conqueror of evil. She is flanked in the framing registers by depictions of the Mother Goddesses (matrikas), who may also be understood in Nepal as aspects of Durga, the navadurgas

Artist

Unknown

Date

Early 20th century

Medium

Distemper and gold on cloth

Culture

Nepal

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Nancy Fessenden Gift, 2018