Mahashri Tara – “Great Glorious Tara”
  See it in the Museum
India and Nepal
Orientation 5
Plinth 1

ABS 097

 Code: ABS 097

  Country: Nepal

  Style: Early Malla Period

  Date: 1400 - 1500

  Dimensions in cm WxHxD: 52.1 x 71.5 x 39.9

  Materials: Wood with original painted decoration

Mahashri Tara (?) – The “Most Glorious Tara” 

Sitting in the ease posture on a multi-coloured double lotus pedestal, this imposing goddess holds her hands joined before her chest in the teaching gesture. Young and beautiful, she is dressed in rich garment but devoid of any jewellery. Her refined red blouse with flower patterns and openwork black sleeves with vegetal scrolls strongly resembles that of the female attendant deities on painting ABP 070. This polychrome wood sculpture perfectly illustrates the skills of the Newar artists of the Kathmandu valley.

Although our sculptures does not wear crown or jeweled ornamentation it can still be assumed that she represents a form of the Buddhist goddess Tara of which numerous forms exist. If so, only one manifestation of the goddess performs this teaching gesture: Mahashri Tara, “The Most glorious Tara” (see ABS 024)

Tara (Drölma in Tibetan), “the Liberator” or “Saviouress” is one of the most famous goddesses of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. She has a constellation of manifestations. As a bodhisattva, she pledged to continuously take birth as a woman until she reaches complete Buddhahood. She appears under multiple aspects among which the Green Tara, the White Tara, and the 21 manifestations are the most popular in Tibet.