Green Tara and Attendants (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

14th century
Tibetan
silver, copper alloy, copper, gold, gilded copper, and gilded silver
Central Tibet
Overall: 8 3/4 × 6 × 4 in. (22.23 × 15.24 × 10.16 cm)
84.74

This sculpture shows Tara in multiple forms. The large image is Green Tara; directly below her, much smaller, is White Tara. Both hold their hands in gestures of charity and teaching. The bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Maitreya sit on either side, and serpent deities bearing offerings climb the elaborate organic pedestal that may conceal a third image of the goddess.

Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey toward Enlightenment, VMFA, Richmond, April 20-August 14, 2019; Rubin Museum of Art, New York, March 12, 2021 – January 2, 2022

2018: Collecting for the Commonwealth Preserving for the Nation, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1919-2018, Winter Antiques Show, Park Avenue Armory, New York City, NY, January 18 - 26, 2018.
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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