Lot 7 | Rare figure of the Buddhist deity Marici

RARE FIGURE OF THE BUDDHIST DEITY MARICI.

Origin: North-East India. Orissa or possibly Bengal.
Dynasty: Orissa art with strong Pala influence.
Date: 11th c.
Technique: Black stone, carved and polished.
Description: Marici stands in a bold lunge (alidhapada) to the right on a double lotus. The very
sensually depicted lady is dressed in a diaphanous skirt elegantly pleated between the
legs. She has three faces, the left of which is a sow's head. Of the attributes in her
eight hands, the following are identifiable: Needle and thread in the lowest hands, bow
and Ashoka branch in the third and fourth left hands, the vajra in her uppermost right,
and a three-pronged arrow in her middle right hand. Next to the main figure the small
goddesses Usha and Pratyusha, who have the task to drive away the demons of darkness with
arrows. Below the lotus a sun chariot drawn by seven pigs with a makara and a rahu in the
center. A small Buddha at the top identifies the stele as a Buddhist sculpture .
Measurement: Height 58 cm, width 30 cm, depth 10.5cm.


Although the figure has a strong Pala influence, the shape of the leaves of the lotus, the flame bands of the back plate, and the facial expression all point to a possible Orissa origin.

Provenance:
European private collection.