Antique Brass Dewi Sri Seated Atop Lotus Base

Description

Beautiful delicate antique brass Dewi Sri. One of the early lost wax cast brass statue with amazing hand work. Where Dewi Sri primordial started. Very serene and graceful appearance sits atop the lotus base. A long sprig of rice along Dewi Sri’s right arm, with a ear of rice coming out by her shoulder. We found it with a scholar’s private collection from east Java, Indonesia. A perfect one of a kind piece for someone who collects rare antique pieces and understands the goddess itself reflects the history and diet deeply in Java and southeast Asia..

The cult of the primordial rice goddess has its origin in the prehistoric domestication, development and propagation of rice cultivation in Asia, possibly brought by Austroasiatic or Austronesian population that finally migrated and settled in the archipelago.

The siplin (sculptor or statue maker) of ancient Java often depicted the goddess Sri as the goddess of rice. The siplin in ancient Java has a different concept of the goddess Sri as the shakti of Vishnu. The depiction of the goddess Sri is inseparable from the concept of her as the goddess of rice. And has been worshipped from the prehistoric period. Therefore, Dewi Sri has a distinctive attribute that depicts this, which is her left hand holding a sprig of rice. In Indonesian society, the veneration of the goddess of rice is very closely related to the fertility cult and its important role in agriculture.

The mythology of Dewi Sri is native to Java, among Javanese and Sundanese populations, also linked to Hinduism in the archipelago since early as the first century. She was equated with the Hindu goddess Shri Lakshmi, and often regarded as an incarnation or one of her manifestations. The goddess is also associated with wealth and prosperity. The name “Sri” was derived from Sanskrit (श्री) which means wealth, prosperity, health, beauty, good fortune and also the other name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.

Dimensions: 2.5″ x 3.25″ x 6″

*Antique piece. Sell in used, pre-owned condition. Vintage and antique items by nature have variable amounts of wear, imperfections, signs of use, age and time. Perfectly imperfect. Condition shown as in pictures. Kindly contact us if you need more info. or detail pictures.