Naga Kanya Statue – Buddhist Figure with Filigree

Naga Kanya on a pedestal, with aureole. The statue with a carved stone inlay is worked in filigree, silver-plated, set with colored stones. Naga Kanya is revered as a daughter of the nagas, serpent deities of water linked to fertility and the guardianship of hidden treasures and teachings. 

In her hybrid form, Naga Kanya unites a human upper body with a serpent lower body. Behind her head is a circular aureole. With both hands, she holds a conch, a symbol for blessings and abundance. The sculpture shows an uncommon iconographic interpretation, characterized by an asymmetric composition. Her serpent tail follows a flowing curve around her body. Naga Kanya wears the crown and full ornaments of a bodhisattva.

Face, upper body, and serpent tail are carved from green stone and set into the metal figure. The tail terminates in a broadened element from red stone. The pedestal is worked in filigree. Thin wire is bent into spirals, filled with small arched elements, and joined in an ornamental pattern. Colored stones are set within the filigree as accents. The figure is worked all around and suitable for freestanding presentation.

Naga Kanya follows iconographic conventions of Vajrayana art in the Kathmandu Valley, in which posture, gesture, and ornament are brought together in a balanced composition.

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: 19 cm (7.5 in)
• Depth: 12 cm (4.8 in)
• Weigt: 625 g