Prajñaparamita, the Goddess of Wisdom
| Artist | Unknown |
|---|---|
| Culture | Cambodian |
| Title | Prajñaparamita, the Goddess of Wisdom |
| Date | 13th century |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Dimensions | Overall: 13 7/16 × 6 3/4 × 2 11/16 in. (34.1 × 17.1 × 6.8 cm) |
| Credit Line | Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 76.16 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
Standing bronze female figure with multiple stacked heads and multiple arms fanned out to the left and right of the figure. The female figure wears an elaborate headdress, girdle and jewelry, and stands on a lotus blossom.
The exquisite balance between fine details and a simple, sensuous silhouette makes this bronze sculpture visually appealing, but its symbolic content makes it meaningful. The figure, identified by the seated Buddha perched above its multiple heads, represents the bodhisattva (enlightened being) Prajnaparamita, who embodies the Buddhist concepts of wisdom (prajna) and perfection (paramita). In Buddhism, wisdom is considered an intuitive comprehension of the true nature of reality. Perfection—or, in a literal translation of the Sanskrit, “that which has reached the other shore”—expresses the state of enlightenment achieved by a bodhisattva.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Prajñaparamita, the Goddess of Wisdom | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=76.16