{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O24734"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O24734/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF1860/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF1860/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BF1860","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O24734/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O24734","accessionNumber":"IS.21-1988","objectType":"Sculpture","titles":[{"title":"Prajnaparamita, the Perfection of Knowledge Goddess","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The Buddhist goddess Prajnaparamita is the personification of a Mahayanist Buddhist text of that name, written around the 8th century. The emergence of this goddess is an indication of the growing power of the cult of the Buddhist saviour figure, the Bodhisattva and the female counterpart, Tara. Prajnaparamita was seen as the embodiment of knowledge, the higher wisdom, and is often linked to Manjusri, the Buddhist personification of wisdom, though not as his sakti.  \r\n\r\nThe goddess is in a meditation posture, with her manuscript supported on a lotus flower at her side. She is seated with crossed legs in a meditation posture, and has her hands poised before her chest in the dharmacakramudra (‘turning the wheel of law’) gesture, denoting expounding the Buddhist law (dharma). She is crowned with a small diadem and wears makara ear-ornaments, arm and wrist bracelets, and ankle ornaments. \r\n\r\nThe modelling of the figure suggests that this sculpture may be the product of the Mahayanist monastic workshops of Sri Lanka, most probably belonging to the late Anuradhapura or early Polonnaruwa periods. Historically Sri Lanka was a major centre for Mahayana Buddhism along with the Hinayana tradition, which prevails today. Later Sinhalese orthodox histories of Buddhism have largely erased the memory of this Mahayanist dimension to Buddhism in Sri Lanka, but the survival of masterpiece sculptures such as this makes its presence clear.","physicalDescription":"Sri Lanka is known as the land of Hinayana, the defender of 'original' Buddhism. Yet a significant number of stone and bronze images survive to demonstrate that Mahayana, the north Indian form of Buddhism, was also widely practised in Sri Lanka in the late Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods. Prajnaparamita, the personification of a text of that name, was worshipped as a female bodhisattva or Buddhist saviour. This bronze shows the goddess in a meditation posture, with her manuscript supported by a lotus flower at her side. Stylistically this figure can be related to the Hindu bronzes of the late Anuradhapura - early Polonnaruwa period.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Bronze","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Buddhism","id":"THES48984"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"}],"styles":[{"text":"Polonnaruwa","id":"AAT19081"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006BF1860"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"47A","id":"THES49797"},"free":"","case":"14","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Figure","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Sri Lanka","id":"x30937"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"9th century-10th century","earliest":"0800-01-01","latest":"1000-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"15","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"13","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This object was purchased from Alex Biancardi (Walmore Collection) in 1988.\r\n\r\nAlexander Biancardi (1924–1999) was a collector and dealer whose interest in Asian art, particularly medieval religious sculpture from South and South-East Asia. The V&amp;A holds a substantial group of objects associated with him which were acquired between the late 1980s and late 1990s, through purchases, gifts, and bequests from Biancardi and his family. Several of the works are currently on display.\r\n\r\nBorn in Alexandria, Egypt, Biancardi moved to Australia in 1947, where he entered the textile trade. In the early 1960s, he relocated to France and worked for a Dutch textile company with business interests in Asia. His exposure to the region led him to begin collecting Asian art in the 1950s, a pursuit he continued into the 1990s. He returned to Australia later in life. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"The Goddess Prajnaparamita, 9/10th century, Bronze, Polonnaruwa style, Sri Lanka","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Guy, John: 'Indian Temple Sculpture', London, V & A Publication, 2007, p.119, pl.134.\r\nISBN 9781851775095.\r\n\r\nGuy, John. 'Buddhist Bronzes of Southern India : Rediscovering a Lost History' in Arts of Asia, volume 30 number 6, Nov-Dec 2000, pp.103-110."},{"reference":{"text":"<u>Lost Kingdoms : Hindu-Buddhist sculpture of early Southeast Asia</u> / John Guy ; with essays by Pierre Baptiste, Lawrence Becker, Bérénice Bellina, Robert L. Brown, Federico Carò, Pattaratorn Chirapravati, Janet G. Douglas, Arlo Griffiths, Agustijanto Indradjaya, Le Thi Lien, Pierre-Yves Manguin, Stephen A. Murphy, Ariel O'Connor, Peter Skilling, Janice Stargardt, Donna Strahan, U Thein Lwin, Geoff Wade, U Win Kyaing, Hiram Woodward, and Thierry Zéphir. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Costume Institute), c2014 Number: 9781588395245 (MMA), 1588395243 (MMA), 9780300204377 (Yale), 030020437X (Yale), 9786167339481, 6167339481","id":"AUTH332814"},"details":"p.37, cat.no. 8, ill.","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"L'escultura en el temples indis : l'art de la devoció : exposició organitzada per la Fundació \"La Caixa\" i el Victoria & Albert Museum, Londres. [Barcelona: Obra social, Fundació \"la Caixa\", c2007 Number: 9788476649466","id":"AUTH339669"},"details":"p.147, Cat.111","free":""}],"production":"Sri Lanka","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Buddhist","id":"AAT73738"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"The Goddess Prajnaparamita\r\n850–1000\r\nBronze\r\nSri Lanka (Polonnaruwa)\r\nMuseum no. IS.21-1988\r\n","date":{"text":"14/06/2011","earliest":"2011-06-14","latest":"2011-06-14"}},{"text":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["IS.21-1988"],"accessionNumberNum":"21","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1988,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN2828","2019LP9599","2019LT5890","2019LW7235","2020MP2054","2020MP2055"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-14","recordCreationDate":"2000-02-13","availableToBook":false}}