South Asian Naga Kanya Snake Woman Figure

20th century AD. A Naga Kanya statuette, the lower body in the form of a scaled serpent, the upper body that of a woman with serene expression, her hands cupped in front of her chest, offering a shell, wearing a crown and a hood of five cobras, scaled and feathered wings, fine bejewelled earrings, necklaces and arm bands; fine detailing to scales and feathers continued on the reverse. 2.7 kg, 27cm (10 1/2"). The RWM Collection; acquired in France 2019. 'Naga' in Sanskrit means 'serpent'. In Buddhism, these are a semi-divine race of half-human half-serpent beings that reside in an underground kingdom called Patala, and which occasionally take human form. In Buddhism, nagas are often represented as door guardians or as minor deities. The creator deity Brahma confined the nagas to the underground kingdom when they became too populous on earth, commanding them to bite only the truly evil or those destined to die prematurely. They are also associated with bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, seas, and wells, and are the guardians of treasure. [No Reserve]
Condition Report: Fine condition.