Standing Parvati

This copper alloy sculpture depicts the goddess Parvati standing in a graceful, slightly curved posture known as tribhanga. Her right hand is raised in a gesture that likely once held a lotus flower, while her left arm hangs loosely at her side. She is adorned with traditional jewelry, including large ear ornaments, necklaces, and armbands, and wears a dhoti that clings to her legs with stylized drapery folds. Her hair is arranged in an elaborate, high conical coiffure (karanda makuta), and her expression is serene and composed.

This sculpture is a product of the Chola period in South India, a golden age for temple iconography where the goddess Parvati is central to Shaivite theology as the consort of Shiva and the personification of Shakti. Her form follows the canonical proportions established in the Shilpa Shastras, Hindu texts on architecture and iconography.