British Museum Top 20 Buddhism 01 Gilded Bronze Tara [1 of 26]
1. Standing Tara – Sri Lanka, 8C AD, 143cm high. The statue of Tara, the consort of Avalokiteshvara, is solid cast in one piece of bronze and gilded. The goddess is naked to the waist with a lower garment flowing to her ankles. The marked contrast of the slender waist against heavy breasts and hips is the ideal of feminine beauty. Tara's right hand is shown in the mudra of giving; her left hand is empty but may have held a lotus flower.