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Durga Mahishasuramardini

18th century
Artist/maker unknown, Nepalese
The eighteen-armed goddess Durga lunges to her left, one foot planted firmly on Mahishasura, the buffalo demon who threatened to conquer the world. His buffalo head lies on the ground below her. The goddess’s lion vehicle, claw drawn and fangs bared, supports her other foot. Although Durga is calmly triumphant, her attributes and gestures emphasize her fierce nature. Her left hand displays the kartarimukha (scissors) gesture, indicative of death, while her right cradles a ritual cup made from a human skull and her ornaments include a bone apron (like the one to your right). Her many other hands hold the divine weapons given to her by the male gods. She is flanked by two sword-wielding warriors, posed with dancer-like formality. From the buffalo’s neck, Mahishasura himself emerges in human form. He bears a half-sheathed sword—but is he unsheathing it to continue the battle or sheathing it to recognize and honor the goddess, the incident that ends his story?

Object Details

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