16th-17th c Hindu Shaivite Icon of the goddess 'Gauri'. 'Gauri' was a female divinity destined to be the consort to Lord Shiva, and a rarer form of 'Parvati', the name given her after her marriage. She is worshipped both in this form and as 'Parvati'. Brass; 7 1/2"h or 19 cm. The buttery-smooth, velvety surface of the Goddess is evidence of centuries of reverential handling and cleansing. And her blurred features, though an accident of time, can be seen as a reminder that one's usual ego/facial identity is really ephemeral. The 'kirtimukha'('glorious face'), the fierce mask above the flared head of the Naga, is a warning that one who seeks access to the Goddess must be willing to surrender his/her ego. In ages past, when a temple icon was to be replaced, it was deposited, with great ceremony, into the Ganges (as in 'returned to Mother Ganga from which She came). This piece was recovered and retains traces of the Ganges bottom. Acquired in old Benares late last century. SOLD