Indian Pilgrimage Figure of Lakshmi

Legs crossed, one palm raised, and the expression of someone who has already forgiven the interruption.

This pilgrimage figure of Lakshmi is from Maharashtra, India, and dates to the 12th to 16th century or earlier. It is brass. Small devotional images like this were usually sold at pilgrimage centers and carried home for worship in household shrines. The figure sits cross-legged on a cushioned seat, the right hand raised with palm forward and the left resting across the lap. A topknot rises from a smooth, worn face. The stepped base is incised with simple crossed panels, and the brass has mellowed to a warm brown. It is 1.5 inches wide, 1 deep and 2.5 high.

Small, calm and difficult to argue with.