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Buddhist Goddess

9th century

Indonesia, Sumatra

Copper alloy

H. 6 1/4 x W. 6 1/4 x D. 3 in. (15.9 x 15.9 x 7.6 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.84

Provenance

John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY; acquired from J. J. Klejman, New York, NY in October 1968.

The Asia Society, New York, NY, bequest of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY, 1979.

Licensing inquiries

The identification of this eight-armed goddess remains uncertain because with the exception of the vajra in her upper right hand, the rest of the attributes she once held are missing or damaged. The depiction of this figure's hair as a series of diagonal lines and the corkscrew curls running along the sides of her topknot and falling over her shoulders suggest that the piece may have come from Sumatra. The representation of the diadem as a thin band with triangular shapes and her high and extremely thin waist also point to a Sumatran provenance. The island of Sumatra was the site of the city of Palembang, generally accepted to be the capital of the kingdom of Shrivijaya, one of the greatest powers on Southeast Asia from the 7th through the 9th centuries. Very little is known about the religion of Shrivijaya, but we do know that Sumatra was once a major center for the study of Vajrayana Buddhism, the tradition noted for its worship of female deities.