Nepalese Bronze White Tara, c. 1925

A White Tara from a Newar workshop

Hollow-cast in a Newar workshop in Nepal sometime between 1920 and 1940, most likely around 1925, this White Tara – Sita Tara in Sanskrit – sits in the lotus posture, both legs crossed, on a double lotus base, with an utpala lotus rising beside each shoulder. She stands 21.5 cm high and weighs 1.6 kg. The bronze has a dark brown patina, with green oxidation in the folds and on the base. There is no gilding.

Tara of long life

Tara is one of the most widely venerated female bodhisattvas of Himalayan Buddhism. A well-known legend says she was born from a tear shed by Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. In her white form she is called upon above all for long life and good health. White Tara sits cross-legged in meditation, and the eye on her forehead is one of her distinguishing marks – a gaze that sees the suffering of the world. Her right hand forms varada mudra, the gesture of giving, while her left forms vitarka mudra, the gesture of teaching. The utpala, a blue lotus, is her constant attribute.

Early twentieth-century Nepalese casting

Newar metalworkers of the Kathmandu Valley have used the lost-wax method for centuries. The underside of this figure is open, with no sealing plate, and reveals a rough casting core, red copper and blue-green corrosion. Together with the uneven open base, this points to a workshop of the early twentieth century rather than a smooth post-war casting. The face and crown are too soft for the nineteenth century, so this is neither a 19th-century piece nor a recent decorative casting.

Description

Tara is seated in the lotus posture on a double lotus base, both legs crossed with the feet resting on the thighs. Her right hand is in varada mudra and her left in vitarka mudra. An utpala lotus rises along each shoulder. She wears a five-pointed crown, earrings and necklaces, and a vertical third eye marks her forehead.

Condition

Dark brown patina, with green oxidation in the folds and on the base. Wear to the high points. No gilding, no breaks and no inscription. The underside is open, showing a rough casting core, red copper and blue-green corrosion.

Specifications

• Origin: Nepal, Newar workshop
• Date: 20th century, c. 1920–1940
• Material: bronze, hollow-cast
• Subject: seated White Tara (Sita Tara)
• Dimensions: H 21.5 × W 14.5 cm
• Weight: 1.6 kg
• SKU: 845

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