Tara in Buddhist sculpture
Tara is a female figure venerated for protection and compassionate action, with particular importance in Himalayan Buddhist traditions. Her representations encompass several forms, each associated with specific iconographic conventions and practices.
A common form of Green Tara has one leg extended, a posture interpreted as readiness to help beings in need. White Tara appears in other configurations: in some traditions she sits with crossed legs and has seven eyes, distributed across her face, palms and soles. These features belong to particular forms and should not be applied to every image of Tara.
In metal sculptures, the colour named in the deity’s title may not be visible. Identification must then take account of posture, attributes and bodily details, together with any inscriptions. The treatment of the face, arrangement of ornaments and modelling of the limbs also provide evidence for stylistic analysis.
The sixteenth-century Nepalese Tara, made of gilded repoussé copper and measuring 57 centimetres, documents a figure in lalitasana in the Dalton Somaré archive. The arrangement of limbs makes the posture legible within a rich ornamental setting. Repoussé work articulates body and jewellery through the metal sheet, while gilding unifies the surfaces. The image brings devotional function, pose and the skills of Newar workshops of the Malla period into a single study.
The twelfth-century Nepalese manuscript cover instead presents White Tara and Green Tara beside Prajñāpāramitā. Here the figures belong to a horizontal sequence connected to a sacred book. The comparison extends beyond format: an independent Tara centres the composition on her own body, whereas the cover’s Taras are read in relation to its central figure and overall programme. The same religious repertoire thus crosses sculpture and book culture, establishing different relationships between image and support.
References and comparisons
