Naga Kanya Statue – Buddhist Figure with Filigree

Naga Kanya, the daughter of the nagas, is depicted with carved green stone elements, filigree decoration, and a flowing serpent body extending across the pedestal.

In her hybrid form, she unites a human upper body with a serpent body. The sculpture shows an uncommon iconographic interpretation, characterized by an asymmetric composition.

She is seated on the right side of a rectangular pedestal. Behind her head is 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.

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 pattern. Set stones add color accents. The decoration is executed all around, 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.

Naga Kanya

Statue made of copper and carved stone, decorated with filigree, silver-plated, and set with colored stones. The figure is patinated. Handcrafted in Nepal.

• Hight: 8" / 20 cm
• Width: 7.5" / 19 cm
• Depth: 4.8" / 12 cm
• Weigt: 625 g