Bronze,
India, 12th century, Pala Dynasty
H: 18,5 cm
Bronze vase with bulbous belly and small foot. An extension with a figure of Manasa sits on the belly and is attached to the neck and lip of the vase. On the middle of the belly we find a rim circuling the vase, a depiction of serpent Naga, whose tail is intertwined with the neck and the head is raised beneath a spout. The spout is portruding between the legs of the sitting Manasa goddess. Manasa is the goddess of snakes, also known as Vishahara, the destroyer of poison. She is worshipped mainly for prevention and cure of snakebites but also for fertility. While she can kill with her left poison eye, she can also cure with her right nectar eye. She wears a crown formed of seven cobras that rise above her head. Besides being kind and loving to the people who worship her, she is harsh to the people who refuse to do so. Manasa is especially important in Bengal and other parts of North and Northeastern India.