Brahma, marble, India, 19th century.

A marble sculpture depicting Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, associated with knowledge, wisdom, and the act of creating the world, who is part of the Trimurti trinity alongside Vishnu and Shiva. The deity is depicted in a seated position with crossed legs on a high pedestal. The depiction deviates from the classical iconographic scheme of Caturmukha (four faces), showing Brahma with six faces: five arranged in a fan-like pattern in an arc around the central face, and the sixth located at the back of the head. The multitude of faces emphasizes the deity’s omniscience and omnipresence. Brahma is depicted with four arms, in accordance with classical iconography. The lower pair rests on his knees; in one hand, the deity holds a sphere interpreted as a symbol of the world or the cosmos, and in the other, a rosary (akṣamālā), symbolizing knowledge, meditation, and the passage of time. The upper pair of hands, raised at the sides of the head, holds attributes whose identification is difficult due to the schematic nature of the sculpture. The figure is set against a background of an arched frame with a pointed arch. At the base of the composition, an image of a bird has been carved, likely a hamsa (sacred goose or swan), Brahma’s traditional mount. The whole is characterized by a compact, frontal composition and restrained modeling.

Dimensions: 32 cm (height) x 17.5 cm (width) x 6.5 cm (depth)
Weight: 7 kg