India, Tanjore District

This sculpture of the Hindu goddess Parvati probably originally accompanied a sculpture of her husband, Shiva, the principal Hindu god. Parvati represents the Divine Female (Devi) and the mother of the universe. Every detail of her graceful figure, from the diameter of her ankles to the position of each finger, is prescribed by canons of proportions and pose formulated during the early Chola Dynasty (850–1310) in southern India.

Bronze, 1175–1200
Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1969.345