Hariti Statuette

This statuette, produced during the Tang dynasty, depicts the Chinese Buddhist form of the Goddess Hariti, known as Guizimu, the "Mother of Demons." The artist carved the image in ivory, a costly natural resource most prevalent in the south of China and in Southeast Asia. Unlike most Indian representations of Hariti, in which the goddess is seated, this statuette shows the goddess standing. She has a bare, ornamented torso and a garment draped on her lower half. She is nursing a chubby baby, common across her representation, signifying abundance and maternal care. In Chinese myth, Guizimu often has 10,000 children.