Naga Kanya Statue – Buddhist Figure with Filigree

Naga Kanya is the daughter of the nagas, revered in Buddhist and Hindu traditions as guardians of water and subterranean realms. In her hybrid form, she unites a human upper body with a serpent body. The present sculpture shows an uncommon iconographic interpretation, characterized by an asymmetric composition and a pronounced sculptural presence.

She is seated on the right half of a rectangular pedestal. Behind her head rises a circular aureole. With both hands, she holds a conch. Her serpent tail follows a flowing curve around her body and extends across the pedestal toward the left, creating a dynamic counterbalance to the vertical axis of the figure. Naga Kanya wears the crown and full ornaments of a bodhisattva, emphasizing her elevated and protective character.

Face, upper body, and serpent tail are carved from green stone and terminate in a broadened element executed in red stone, introducing a deliberate chromatic contrast. The pedestal is decorated with filigree. Fine metal wires are shaped into spirals, filled with small arched elements, and assembled into a harmonious pattern. Colored stones add floral accents and structure the surface. The decoration is executed on all sides, allowing for freestanding presentation.

The statue follows the image traditions of Vajrayana art in the Kathmandu Valley, in which ritual identity, gesture, and ornament are brought together into a balanced iconographic unity.