074
The Benefactress, Goddess Yamuna
Metal, sculpture Copper with fire gilding
7.75 inches
Nepal
Ca. 18th century
Patan school
The river goddess, Yamuna, identified by the tortise below her lower right hand, holds a mirror and a traditional container of vermillion powder, in her upper hands. In South Asia, many rivers are personified as goddesses and worshipped as symbols of fertility and abundance. The goddesses, Ganga and Yamuna, represent the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers of India respectively, and are frequently depicted at entrances to sacred spaces and monuments such as temples and shrines. In this image, Yamuna is flanked by two unidentified devotees, recognized as such by their secular dress.
Natalie Marsh
Museum #: 92.045
Huntington Archive Image Scan #: T1072