Religious objects - Mahīśāsuramardinī, Durgā who kills the buffalo demon, bronze, India, 18th century. - 1700-1750 Maratha Empire (1674-1818)

The bronze depicts the goddess Mahīśāsuramardinī, a warrior form of Durgā, captured in the culminating act of her battle against the buffalo-demon Mahīśa. The figure, modeled using the lost-wax casting technique typical of southern India, presents a highly dynamic pose: the goddess's body, erect with momentum, leans forward as the spear sinks into the demonic creature's body. Around her, a perforated architectural aura (prabhāmaṇḍala) frames the scene, emphasizing the divine nature of the action and amplifying the dramatic tension of the whole.
The goddess is depicted with multiple arms, each wielding a weapon or symbolic attribute: among these are the trident, the ritual sword, the bow, and the offering bowl, elements that recall her ability to simultaneously embody the powers of the various gods. The conical helmet, the ears adorned with large pendants, and the robe tied at the waist are part of the popular iconographic tradition of South India, in which the figure of Durgā takes on an energetic and earthly quality, devoid of superfluous idealizations, yet rich in ritual expressiveness.
Of particular note is the spatial construction of the base, where the divine lion, to the left of the goddess intent on trampling the buffalo's severed head, is rendered with vibrant, muscular forms while the buffalo's body is powerfully crushed by Durgā's right leg. The goddess thus stands between the two creatures as the cosmic axis of dharma's victory over chaos. The surfaces show traces of red pigment and light green oxidation deposits, indicative of an ancient devotional history and its customary display in domestic contexts or small shrines. Natural wear and the warm, uneven patina confirm the piece's authenticity and long ritual life.
The sculpture perfectly preserves the narrative and symbolic force of the Puranic episode: the goddess, immobile in her decisive gesture, crystallizes the moment when the demon's violence is definitively subdued by divine power. The compact composition and the balance between movement and frontality make this artifact a remarkable example of South Indian religious sculpture, ideal for collectors of ancient Asian art and Saivite-Sakhatian bronzes.

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