{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O64195"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O64195/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JK5876/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JK5876/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JK5876","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM4867","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JY0205","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O64195/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O64195","accessionNumber":"IS.71-1880","objectType":"Sculpture","titles":[{"title":"Purneshvari","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The Mother Goddess was popularly worshipped under a variety of local names throughout India. During the Pala period (ca.760-1142 A.D.) in eastern India, Purneshvari was venerated by both Buddhists and Hindus. \r\n\r\nThis rare and beautiful sculpture was found in 1877 during an excavation of a tank at Jaynagar, Monghyr District, Bihar. Here the four-armed goddess is seen seated on a double-lotus throne with one pendant foot resting on a lotus stem. She is beautifully formed, richly bejewelled and smiles benignly, as she supports an infant on her lap. Her upper hands hold rods, one  with an elephant emblem, the other a fly-whisk. \r\n\r\nAbove her, a pair of celestial garland-bearers hover in the clouds, and a wondrous <i>kirttimukha</i>(face of glory)  presides over all of them from above. Purneshvari is flanked by the Hindu elephant-headed god Ganesha. However, the inscription suggests a possible Buddhist affiliation. It offers merit to the <i>siddhas</i> (community of tantric masters) and <i>sramanas</i> (ascetic monks), as well as to the relatives of the donor, named as Utakva. \r\n\r\nThe inscription also names the goddess and the ‘illustrious (city of) Campa', as the place of its installation. It dates the sculpture to the 35th year regnal year of a king called Palapala, who was entitled ‘Lord of Gauda’ (Gaudesvara). This king may have been the last of the Pala rulers, as these regions subsequently succumbed to Muslim invaders between 1199 and 1201.","physicalDescription":"The central figure is the four-armed divinity, Purneshvari, who is surrounded by other sacred figures including Ganesha. On the base is a dedicatory inscription by Ghumtesvari, a queen of the country.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Black basalt","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Hinduism","id":"THES48941"}],"styles":[{"text":"Pala","id":"AAT18917"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2016JK5876","2006AM4867","2017JY0205"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"18","id":"THES49858"},"free":"","case":"PL2","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sculpture","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Bihar","id":"x29823"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"12th century","earliest":"1100-01-01","latest":"1200-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"E D Lockwood Esq Kingham Chipping Norton","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"82.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"Maximum","date":{"text":"13/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-13","latest":"2026-01-13"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"83.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"On plinth","date":{"text":"13/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-13","latest":"2026-01-13"},"part":"","note":"Height on modern plinth."},{"dimension":"Width","value":"37.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"Maximum","date":{"text":"13/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-13","latest":"2026-01-13"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"17","unit":"cm","qualifier":"Maximum","date":{"text":"13/01/2026","earliest":"2026-01-13","latest":"2026-01-13"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"The five-line inscription on this Jaynagar stone image of a four-armed seated goddess has been deciphered by D.C. Sircar (article mentioned below). It is written carelessly in the <i>gaudiya</i> (Eastern Indian) script and corrupt Sanskrit  The inscription was incised during the 35th regnal year of the Pala ruler Palapala, and suggests that the sculpture was possibly donated by a Buddhist named Utakva. \n\nThe name and identity of the Buddhist goddess donated is quite controversial. Also controversial is the identity of the ruler and his ruling period, who following D.C. Sircar's interpretation of the inscription is believed to be the late 12th century ruler Palapala, a follower of Govindapala.\r\n\r\nCredit goes to D.C. Sircar, the well known epigraphist, who carefully deciphered and restored this extremely corrupt text. For his reading and translation, see the <i>Journal of the Bihar</i> <i>Research Society</i>, Vol.XLI, Pt.2, 1955, pp.1-11 (\"Jayagar Image Inscription of Year 35\").\r\n\nA detailed iconographic description of the image has been given by Claudine Bautze-Picron, who compares the image with other similar images from Bihar. Her insightful article is entitled  'Le culte de la Grande Deesse au Bihar meridional du VII au XII siecle'<i>,</i>and was published in <i>Supplemento n. 72 agli Annali</i>- vol 52 (1992),pp. 1-58, Fig.36.\r\nThe problem of identifying Palapala, as well as the issue of establishing the duration and period of his reign has has been discussed by Susan Huntington in her volume, <i>\"The Pala-Sena\" Schools of Sculpture</i>, Leiden, 1984, p.72. \r\n\n\"The deity seems to have been the primitive goddess worshipped under different names in various parts of India, though she may have been associated with the Buddhist deity Hariti as well as the Brahmanical goodess Parvati with Skanda on her lap.\" see D.C. Sircar, Three Incriptions from Lagudar, Ep Ind XXVIII, 1958.pp. 137-145.\r\n\"In our image, the presence of Ganesha, a <i>makara</i> standard and a piece of sugarcane at the proper right below are quite significant\"  (Gouriswar Bhattacharya, 13 July 2006)."}],"objectHistory":"The Mother Goddess was popularly worshipped in the Pala kingdom of North East India under a variety of local names, and in association with both Buddhism and Hinduism. Here the presence of Ganesha suggests an association with the Shaivite (Hindu) cult. The inscription dates the sculpture to the 35th regnal year of Palapala, probably the last of the Pala kings, who succumbed to a Muslim invasion between 1199 and 1201.\r\n\r\nE D Lockwood Esq Kingham Chipping Norton. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.\r\n\r\nR P 5829- 1880","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"High Relief of Purneshvari, black basalt, 12th century, Bihar, North East India.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Translation of the text by D C Sircar, 'Jaynagar Image Inscription of Year 35' in <i>Journal of the Bihar Research Society</i>, Vol XLI, Pt 2, 1955, pp.1-11\r\n\r\nAn iconographic description of the image by Claudine Bautze-Picron, comparing this image with similar images from Bihar is presented in her article 'Le culte de la Grande Deesse au Bihar meridional du VIIe au XIIe siecle', in <i>Supplemento n.72 agli Annali</i> - Vol 52 (1992), pp. 1-58, Fig 36.\r\n\r\nThe identity of Palapala and the period of his reign are discussed by Susan Huntington in <i>\"The Pala Sena\" Schools of Sculpture, </i>Brill, Leiden, 1984 (includes an illustration).\r\n\r\n<i>Journal of Bihar and Orissa Research Society</i>, XIV 1928 489pp\r\n<i>Annals of Bhadharkar Oriental Research Institute</i> XI 1930, 398pp\r\n\r\nJohn Guy: Indian Temple Sculpture, V&A, 2007, pl 183, pg 161\r\n\r\n"},{"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.110","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"In the image of man : the Indian perception of the universe through 2000 years of painting and sculpture : [exhibition / organized by Catherine Lampert assisted by Rosalie Cass]. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson :in association with the Arts Council of Great Britain, 1982 Number: 0297780719, 0297781243 (pbk.)","id":"AUTH339940"},"details":"p. 119. cat. no. 88","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Haworth-Booth, Mark; Indian Sculpture: A Travelling Exhibition, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1971","id":"AUTH348838"},"details":"No. 11","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Arts of Bengal : the heritage of Bangladesh and eastern India : an exhibition organized by the Whitechapel Art Gallery in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum : 9 November-30 December 1979, Whitechapel Art Gallery ..., 12 January-17 February 1980, Manchester City Art Gallery ... . [London]: Whitechapel Art Gallery, [1979] Number: 085488047X (pbk.) :","id":"AUTH339757"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"Monghyr District, Bihar State, North-east India.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"AAT73727"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"The Goddess Purneshvari\r\n1150–1200\r\nPala dynasty\r\nJaynagar, Bihar, North-East India\r\nBasalt\r\nThis form of the Mother Goddess was worshipped\r\nby both Buddhists and Hindus. She sits on a lotus\r\nthrone and holds a child, a fly whisk and an elephant\r\nemblem. The Hindu god Ganesha sits to her right.\r\nThe inscription names the donor, Utakva. References\r\nto siddhas (Tantric masters) and shramanas (ascetic\r\nmonks) show that the figure was commissioned\r\nby Buddhists.\r\nMuseum no. IS.71-1880\r\n1150–1200","date":{"text":"1/4/2009","earliest":"2009-04-01","latest":"2009-04-01"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.71-1880"],"accessionNumberNum":"71","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1880,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LW7300"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-13","recordCreationDate":"2002-02-21","availableToBook":false}}