Item: Tara (Buddhist Deity)
| Origin Location | Nepal |
|---|---|
| Date Range | 1600 - 1699 |
| Lineages | Buddhist |
| Material | Wood |
| Collection | Rubin Museum of Art |
Classification: Deity
Fine examples of Nepalese Malla period wood carving are hard to find. The Los Angeles County Museum has a seated Tara dated to the 15th century (Art of Nepal, Pratapaditya Pal, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1985, page 114 [S35]). Asia Society exhibited another similar piece during a New York exhibition in the early sixties (The Art of Nepal, Stella Kramrisch, The Asia Society, Inc., 1964, pg.89, 91, 135). All three sculptures have repousse ornaments such as crown, earrings, bracelets, etc., along with painted details of clothing patterns and the multi-coloured lotus pedestal.
The precise identification of this piece is not known. It could be a Buddhist work and possibly a form of Tara, or it could be Hindu and then any number of deities might be represented in this way, such as Lakshmi.
Jeff Watt 2-2008
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Nepal
Collection of Rubin Museum of Art: Sculpture (Gallery 2)
Buddhist Deity: Tara (sculpture)
Nepal: Late Malla Period Sculpture
Nepal: Sculpture (Wood)