Object Details
Catalogue Note
A monumental standing Green Tara from Nepal, cast in bronze and retaining extensive traces of historic gilding. At 100 cm high and 15.2 kg, the sculpture has the scale of a substantial devotional image and is associated with the Newar artistic traditions of the Kathmandu Valley.
Green Tara in the Newar tradition
Tara stands in an elegant tribhanga posture, with the body shifting through a gentle three-part curve. Her hands form gestures associated with generosity and teaching while lotus stems rise alongside the figure. The crown, jewellery and engraved ornaments are closely worked and contribute to the refined Himalayan character of the sculpture.
Dating and attribution
The sculpture is catalogued conservatively to the late 18th or 19th century within the Nepalese Newar tradition. Its stylistic vocabulary continues forms established during the later Malla period, but a narrower date is not asserted without additional comparative or scientific evidence.
Bronze and gilded surface
The bronze shows historic gilding, red residues, oxidation, old repairs and hand-finished engraved detail. Earlier examination has described the gilding as fire-gilding; without instrumental material analysis confirming the gilding method, this listing uses the broader and more defensible term gilt bronze.
Condition
Good antique condition with natural patina, wear to the gilded surface, mineral deposits and old repairs. These features are documented in the detailed photographs and form part of the object’s history.
Details
- Subject: Green Tara / Shyamatara
- Origin: Nepal, Kathmandu Valley tradition
- Date: Late 18th–19th century
- Material: Gilt bronze
- Dimensions: H 100 × W 47 × D 7 cm
- Weight: 15.2 kg
- SKU: 712
