Indian Pilgrimage Figure of Lakshmi

A tall crown and a lotus bud, carried with the posture of somebody accustomed to being looked at.

This pilgrimage figure of Lakshmi is from Maharashtra, India, and dates to the 16th to 17th century or earlier. It is brass. Small images like this were usually acquired at pilgrimage centers and kept in household shrines. She stands on a round pedestal, one hand raised with a bud, the other lowered. A conical crown rises above a smooth face, with looped ornaments at the ears. Her pleated skirt falls in ridged lines, and the brass has darkened to a deep brown. It is 1.25 inches wide, 0.75 deep and 2.75 high.

Small enough to travel, steady enough to stay.