Defeated Attendant of the Buffalo Demon
(India, Nepal, and Tibet)
This kneeling figure once belonged to a larger sculpture depicting the slaying of the Buffalo Demon by the Hindu goddess Durga. As Durga defeated the Buffalo Demon, she also defeated his companions. Her discus has been lodged in the chest of this attendant. Setting down his club, he looks up toward the goddess. Though his face shows a grimace, his defeat is a blessing: Freed from the clutches of the Buffalo Demon, he has been saved by Durga’s powerful grace.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Edward King [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore, 1983, by purchase.
Exhibitions
2001-2003 | Desire and Devotion: Art from India, Nepal, and Tibet in the John and Berthe Ford Collection. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara; Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque; Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham; Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong. |
Geographies
Nepal (Place of Origin)
Measurements
3 1/2 x 3 x 2 1/2 in. (8.9 x 7.6 x 6.4 cm)
Credit Line
Promised gift of John and Berthe Ford
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
F.164