Kumbum Monastery Manjusri Shrine: Sarasvati

CHINA, Qinghai, Xining; Ming dynasty

The Hindu goddess of learning, art, and music, Sarasvati is respected in Buddhism as a Dharma protector. According to the Golden Light Sutra’s “Chapter on Sarasvati,” she is eight-armed and appears as a figure playing a pipa in the outer section of the Vajra Hall of the Womb Realm Mandala.
The figure here is two-armed and wears a five-leaf crown from which golden ribbons flutter. The head is tilted to one side and gazes forward with frank eyes. Enlightenment characteristics include an urna, three lines on the neck, and elongated earlobes, from which hang ornaments that match those on the crown. Other jewelry includes armlets and bracelets, a double-stranded neckpiece from which a pendant hangs between the breasts and a longer piece that hangs on either side. A purple stole is draped over the shoulders and around the long skirt beneath. The goddess plays her instrument while seated on a lotus throne with ankles crossed. This sculpture, together with the statue of Vasudhara enshrined in the same monastery, is the work of the respected Mongolian sculptor Zanabazar.