Putali statue #1
Putali statue #1
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Statues like these can be found all over Nepal, for example at the entrance of temples, shrines or houses, at bridges, important crossroads, the central square or biggest tree of a village and so on. They are more commonly known as 'namaskara mudra' statues, referring to the positioning of the hands.
Statues like these are both greeting-statues and protective statues. With the traditional hand-mudra they greet the visitors and passers-by, but also they protect the area or building where they are standing. Often a spirit of a local ancestor dwells in them.
Statues like the one here, with clearly distinct gender-features, can often be found in pairs of two; one male, one female. An ancestral couple.
They are often made in kneeling-position, so maybe that's the reason the lower legs of this woman are missing; her lower legs at one time must have been (horizontally) attached to whatever she was sitting on.
The very detailed woodcarving of this statue shows great craftmanship and care. It is in very good condition and has a beautiful dark patina due to its age (and maybe the smoke-offerings from incense that must have been given to her). The age is hard to determine exactly, but it was made somewhere in the 20th century.
This statue is approximately 33 centimeters high. Please be aware that a statue such as this is not just a beautiful decorative piece to place in a display cabinet. It was made to be a spirit home, and still is so. Treat it with the utmost care, friendship and respect. And feel free to ask our advice if you need any on how to best take care of such as statue.