Hindu? Goddess on Lotus, Tall Head-Dress; Where, When & Whom?

Discussion in 'Metalware' started by wlwhittier, Apr 21, 2024.

  1. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    She is ~85mm tall, an' weighs ~106 grams.
    I'm leaning toward SE Asian, but she may be Indian?
    Beyond those most basic descriptors, I'm without a clue about about who she may represent, her place in the panoply of deities in her cultural community, an' whether the manner of her representation is indicative of her age, or other important specifics. Thanks for lookin'!

    P1410136.jpeg P1410137.jpeg P1410139.jpeg P1410140.jpeg P1410141.jpeg P1410142.jpeg
     
    johnnycb09 likes this.
  2. Marote

    Marote Well-Known Member

    Sridevi?
     
    wlwhittier likes this.
  3. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    The style is South Indian, but you need @Any Jewelry to identify who it represents.
     
    wlwhittier and Any Jewelry like this.
  4. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    She is Parvati, the elegant and powerful wife of Shiva, mother of Ganesha, stepmother of Kartikeya.
     
    Marote and bluumz like this.
  5. Marote

    Marote Well-Known Member

    How can you tell it's Parvati and not Sridevi? The Sridevi figures look so similar.
    M1975172S.jpg images.jpg
    Is it the crown or the dress? Or is Sridevi always holding a flower in her hand and this one isn't? (not sure what's going on with that left arm of this figure)
    Teach me, o wise one!
     
    wlwhittier and 2manybooks like this.
  6. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Yes, they do. Hinduism is very complicated, because it isn't one religion.
    Sridevi is a pretty generic name. There are different Sridevis with different backgrounds and functions, not all of them divine.

    You may have to correct me, but I think the Sridevi you mean is the South Indian Goddess. She features in a specific Hindu sect that worships Lord Perumal as supreme deity.
    Perumal can be equated with both Shiva and Vishnu, and his consorts can be equated with the consorts of Shiva and Vishnu and usually depicted as such. So you could say that Parvati and Perumal's Sridevi are one and the same.;)

    When I name a divinity without knowing which sect a figure was made by, I prefer to use the mainstream name. So she could be Sridevi, but without knowing 'whodunnit', I'd rather call her Parvati.:)
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2024
  7. Marote

    Marote Well-Known Member

    Me correcting you?! :hilarious::hilarious::hilarious::hilarious:
    download.jpg

    I was referring to the Sridevi described here:
    https://ekaahandicrafts.com/products/lord-vishnu-with-bhudevi-and-sridevi
    "Lord Vishnu, the preserver and protector of all creation, with his two lady consorts, Sridevi and Bhudevi by his side. Both of them are forms of Lakshmi. Bhudevi represents the material world or energy, and hence is called Mother Earth and Goddess of fertility, while Sridevi represents the spiritual world."
     
    wlwhittier and Any Jewelry like this.
  8. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Yes, another one of those complications, which is why it is good that you posted the context, being Vishnu with two aspects of Lakshmi.

    The consort of Vishnu is generally known as Lakshmi, but her radiant aspect is called Shri or Sri.
    Since Devi means Goddess, in theory you can attach -devi to any Goddess' name. So in theory you could call Shri Shridevi or Sridevi, and that is what the seller does. Probably because that is customary in his locality.
    Lakshmi/Shri/Sri is different again from the divinities, yoginis, etc that are usually called Sridevi.:confused:;)
    I never said Hinduism was easy.:playful:

    As I said before, Hinduism isn't one religion. Hinduism is the generic name for traditional religions of ancient Indian origin.
    India is a huge country, and it currently has the largest population in the world. As a consequence, and due to its long religious history, there are countless versions of Hinduism, and many local Hindu deities and divinities.
    And then there is Hinduism outside India....:facepalm:
     
  9. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    Another classic example of the immeasurable depth of wisdom an' understanding about our world available here for the asking! Bravo to both of you for such erudite illumination of one tiny corner of one of, if not the most complex belief systems of humankind. I'm grateful!
     
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