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Mother Goddess Brahmani Seated in a Yogic Posture Holding a Water Pot

Creator Name

Nepal

Cultural Context

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Date

13th century

About the Work

Art Institute of Chicago Object Description
This tantric Hindu female goddess is usually part of a set of seven mother goddesses (Brahmani, Vaishnavi, Maheshvari, Indrani, Kaumari, Varahi and Chamunda) called matrikas, but she is also revered as a goddess in her own right. The matrikas are the female shaktis (power, energy) of the male gods, and Brahmani is the shakti of the creator god Brahma. Like Brahma, she is typically shown with four heads (with the fourth one understood to be at the back), symbolizing omniscience, the four sacred scriptures (Vedas), the four castes, or the four time cycles (yugas). As a sage or female yogi, she often holds a rosary, and a water pot (kamandalu), and she sits in the yogic pose with a strap ...

Work details

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Title

Mother Goddess Brahmani Seated in a Yogic Posture Holding a Water Pot

Creator

Nepal

Worktype

Sculpture; copper; metal; sculpture; asian art

Cultural Context

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Material

Copper alloy; copper alloy

Dimensions

19.5 × 11.6 × 9.8 cm (7 11/16 × 4 9/16 × 3 7/8 in.)

Technique

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Language

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Date

13th century

Provenance

Gift of Marilynn B. Alsdorf; Possibly with James Singer, London; sold to James W. Alsdorf (1913–1990) and Marilynn B. Alsdorf (1925–2019), Winnetka and Chicago, IL, Apr. 3, 1980 [receipt from James Singer, Apr. 3, 1980; copy in curatorial object file]; by descent to Marilynn B. Alsdorf, Chicago, 1990 [on long-term loan at the Art Institute of Chicago, Aug. 9, 1996; promised as a gift to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2002]; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, Nov. 19, 2014.

Style Period

Himalayan

Rights

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Public Domain
Public Domain

Inscription

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Location

Nepal

Subjects

goddesses

Topic

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Related Content

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All Works in Curationist’s archives can be reproduced and used freely. How to attribute this Work:

Nepal, Mother Goddess Brahmani Seated in a Yogic Posture Holding a Water Pot, 13th century, Art Institute of Chicago. Public Domain.

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