Ancient sculpture of Hindu goddess on sale at Christie's

An around 1000-year-old blackstone sculpture of Hindu warrior goddess Durga will be on sale at Christie's in New York next week.

In the 131 cm black schist sculpture, Durga or Devi or Shakti -- an omnipotent, fearsome deity who combats evil forces -- is seen in the precise moment of spearing Mahishasura.

"It's quite a dramatic image that captures the decisive moment in the narrative (of the slaying of evil by good)," said Isabel McWilliams, specialist in the Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art department in New York.

This stone figure is from eastern India. It is one of the most popular examples of a female deity who is harnessing a much wider range of cosmic powers, McWilliams said.

It belongs to the later Pala period - between 8th and 12th centuries, when Bihar and Bengal were under the Pala dynasty. It reflects an eclectic mix of Buddhist and Hindu iconography.

The sculpture is one of the art works featured at Christie's sales during its Asian Art Week here from March 16-23.

--IANS

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