In this monumentally detailed brass goddess Kali statue, Maa Kali stands on an ornate ovular platform, decorated with petals of lotuses on the upper section and blooming lotuses on the upper part. On the steady body of Lord Shiva, who appears to have reached the depths of divine consciousness, Maa Kali takes a dynamic stance, with one leg on Shiva and the other positioned on the platform. Discernible musculature on the legs of the goddess gives this brass Devi Kali murti a powerful appearance, which is enhanced by her Dashabhuja (ten-armed) form, with each of her hands carrying a weapon of destruction. An imposing crown adorned with the crescent moon beautifies Devi Kali’s visage, which has huge eyes, a third eye, eyebrows curved in anger, and a lolling tongue adding to the ferociousness of Mahakali. Multiple ornaments embellish the striking representation of the great goddess, whose sway over her enemies is underlined by the garland of skulls and girdle of severed heads wrapped around her waist. The interplay of glistening golden on the brown brass shade creates an aesthetic effect on this icon. Piercing her enemies with a rage-filled gaze, Mahakali in this ethereal form is the exaltation of a mother’s love that willingly goes beyond societal rules and norms, all because of her warmth toward her child.
