The Mother Goddess Men Brajut (Hariti)

This Indonesian terracotta sculpture represents the goddess Hariti’s Indonesian form, Men Brajut. The sculpture likely adorned a temple pillar in East Java. It dates from the Majapahit Empire, which ruled parts of Indonesia from the 13th to 16th centuries. Majapahit rulers patronized Hindu temples, resulting in an outpouring of similar deities. Men Brajut kneels with a child between her legs. Her large breasts and soft belly mark her fertility, while small hands on her chest indicate that at one point the statue held another baby.