Jain Goddess Padmavati

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The enthroned goddess is seated in a yogic meditation posture on a lotus throne, and framed by an elaborate architectural back-plate with slender round pillars supporting the shrine setting with its amalaka (cupola-like) crowning element. The shrine incorporates two female fly whisk (cauri) bearers, each supported on a foliate armature supporting a lotus bud pedestal and above, the meditating Parsvanatha. Padmavati holds an elephant goad (ankusa) and a vajra in her upper hands affirming her esoteric associations, whilst her lower hands hold a lotus bud and gesture varadamudra respectively. She is linked to the 23rd Jina Parsvanatha, who is represented as a small image presiding over the goddess. Her vehicle and cognizant sign is the cock, seen on the pedestal below her lotus cushion throne. According to the Niranakalika, the rooster serves as her vehicle (vahana) and she is prescribed as having four arms though displaying somewhat different attributes. Another ritual source, Mallisena’s Bhairavapadma cites a variant set of attributes, but both include the goad. Padmavati would appear to be associated with auspiciousness and wealth, as witnessed by the row of eight (auspicious number) ‘treasure pots’ depicted on the pedestal, thus suggesting iconographic and devotional parallels with the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art