Siddha Lakshmi

The fierce Siddha Lakshmi, a wrathful manifestation of the Hindu goddess Durga, was the protecting and guiding goddess of the Malla kings, who ruled Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley from the thirteenth through eighteenth century and their descendants. Here she is shown at the center of the composition standing on the hands of her consort, the great god Shiva, with her various forms occupying the registers above and below. Her name opens with the Sanskrit term “siddha” which indicates that she has mastered the art of accomplishment, and as such she is appealed to by followers for the successful completion of projects.

This painting’s tightly packed composition is characteristic of Nepalese paintings, which typically fill the canvas with deities, gods, goddesses, animals, and floral motifs. Also characteristic of Nepalese works of art, this painting includes an inscription on its back that allows it to be dated to 1796.