This rare and beautiful sculpture was found in 1877 during an excavation of a tank at Jaynagar, Monghyr District, Bihar. Here the four-armed goddess is seated on a double-lotus throne with one pendant foot resting on a lotus stem. She is beautifully formed, richly bejewelled and smiles benignly as she supports an infant on her lap. Above her a pair of celestial garland-bearers hover in clouds, and a wondrous ‘kirttimukha’ ('face of glory') presides over all from above. Purneshvari is flanked by the Hindu elephant-headed god Ganesha. It offers merit to the ‘siddhas’ (tantric masters) and ‘sramanas’ (ascetic monks). . . . #rare #beautiful #sculpture #excavation #Jaynagar #Monghyr #Bihar #fourarmed #goddess #seated #lotus #throne #resting #beautifully #formed #richly #bejewelled #smiles #benignly #supports #infant #celestial #garlan #bearers #hover #clouds #wondrous #kirttimukha #faceofglory #presides #overall #fromabove #Purneshvari #flanked #Ganesha #Buddhist #Hindu #siddhas #community #tantric #masters #sramanas #ascetic #monks (at V&A Museum)