Durga Mahishasuramardini ("Slayer of the Buffalo Demon")
date: label: Date
content: 9th century
label: Period
content: Central Javanese Period
notes: label: Label
content: Goddess Durga was created from the combined energy of the three most powerful Hindu gods--Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu--in order to defeat a demon that was plaguing the universe. This image represents a heroic moment for the goddess: she has just conquered the terrifying demon Mahisha. In order to escape the goddess, Mahisha had taken the form of a buffalo. Durga saw right through this petty disguise and caught him. The four-armed goddess stands on the buffalo's back, her upper hands holding the chakra (right) and conch (left). In her lower hands she holds a rope firmly tied to the buffalo's tail and to the hair of the demon Mahisha. The demon in human form emerges from the wound in the buffalo's neck, with his right leg remaining inside the animal's body. She conveys her triumph with calm certitude, her lips forming the suggestion of a smile. Her chin is tilted upwards and she gazes forwards through almond-shaped eyes. Durga wears an ankle-length sarong tied with sashes and a belt, thick bangles on her ankles and wrists, necklaces, earrings, and a diadem. Her face is framed by a halo roughly carved against a flat back-slab. This form of Durga is called Mahishasuramardini, which means "She who conquered the demon named Mahisha."
label: Provenance
content: To 1914
label: Provenance
content: D. Komter, Amsterdam, to 1914 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1914 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from D. Komter in 1914 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 520, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas (March 25, 2023 - ongoing)
label: Exhibition History
content: Power in Southeast Asia (October 14, 2017 to March 13, 2020)
label: Exhibition History
content: Hindu and Buddhist Art (April 1, 1982 to July 18, 1983)
label: Exhibition History
content: Hindu and Buddhist Art (January 28, 1981 to September 24, 1981)
label: Exhibition History
content: Indian Art (January 1, 1963 to January 28, 1981)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Art, Gallery 8 (July 15, 1958 to January 1, 1963)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: D. Komter (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: Java, Indonesia
topic: label: Topic
content: stone
label: Topic
content: Hinduism
label: Topic
content: water buffalo
label: Topic
content: Devi
label: Topic
content: Durga
label: Topic
content: demon
label: Topic
content: death
label: Topic
content: Central Javanese period (600 - 799)
label: Topic
content: Indonesia
label: Topic
content: halo
label: Topic
content: chakra
label: Topic
content: Java
label: Topic
content: Southeast Asian Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
label: Topic
content: goddess
setName: label: On View
content: East Building (Arthur M. Sackler Gallery), Gallery 22a: The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas
label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: Related Online Resources
content: NMAA Southeast Asia
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1914.54
objectType: label: Type
content: Sculpture
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Andesite
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 54.5 × 25.4 × 17 cm (21 7/16 × 10 × 6 11/16 in)