Dimensions: Height 15 cm ; Wide 19 cm ; Depth 5 cm without base

Weight: 1906 grams with base

Museum quality and very rare group of three statues representing Indra and his consorts.

Indra is sitting in "vajrasana" on a lotus throne, his left hand resting on his knee, his right hand in "vitarka mudra". Indra has his forehead showing the third eye horizontally, and is wearing an elaborate crown, jewels and a "dhoti". A lotus is attached to each shoulder. The lotus on the right, supporting the typical "vajra", allows, together with the horizontal third eye, to identify the central statue as to be Indra.

The two goddesses are sitting in "lalitasana" on a lotus throne, with a lotus attached to one shoulder. The goddess on the left has her hand in "abhaya" mudra. The three statues, as well as their thrones, were cast separately. They are attached to one another via tenons affixed on the goddesses' thrones.

This group is typical of the Newar sculpture of Nepal, is made of gilt copper and dates back to the 15th/16th century. The statue of the right-side goddess suffered an old accident at its base, but without great damage.

Part of the gilding is erased with age, but the whole triad is in every good condition.

Provenance: Blue Lotus Gallery, Philadelphia, December 2010.

Literature: A very similar figure is illustrated in Pratapaditya Pal's "Art of Nepal", Los Angeles, 1985 p. 119. Also compare with a similar triad published in Ulrich Von Schroeder's "Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, 1981, cat. no 104A, p. 384.