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The Buddhist deity Ushnishavijaya
The Buddhist deity Ushnishavijaya

The Buddhist deity Ushnishavijaya

Place of OriginBhutan
Dateapprox. 1800-1900
MaterialsSilk with applique and embroidery
DimensionsH. 26 in x W. 21 3/8 in, H. 66.0 cm x W. 54.3 cm (image), H. 52 1/2 in x W. 37 in (overall)
Credit LineThe Avery Brundage Collection
Object numberB62D30
DepartmentHimalayan Art
ClassificationsTextiles
On View
Not on view
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Ushnishavijaya is a goddess of long life who personifies the spiritual force enshrined within the stupa. In the text that specifies her form for both artists and meditators, she is described as white in color, with eight hands and three heads, each of the latter with three eyes. In her arms she bears a variety of symbolic weapons. Her bow and arrow represent the implicit unity of apparent opposites, while the noose represents the securing of long life. One of her right hands bears a sculpture of a buddha. 

This is a beautiful example of a gos sku (literally, fabric image), a term for thangkas (Buddhist devotional images) done with appliqué. An art form originating in China, this type of thangka is also made in Bhutan, Mongolia, and Tibet. Gigantic gos sku are displayed in open-air ceremonies at monasteries in Bhutan and Tibet. The damask squares beneath the figure are typical of Bhutanese gos sku.