A meticulously executed, elegant and exceptionally refined bronze depicting Sridevi, a manifestation of Lakshmi and consort of Vishnu, standing upon a lotus-form pedestal supported by a quadrangular base. The goddess displays an elongated silhouette with a subtle sway of the hips. She wears a tall and elaborately worked conical crown, prominent earrings and an extensive ensemble of jewellery and bodily ornaments.
 
The right hand descends gracefully alongside the body, while the raised left hand holds a lotus, an attribute closely associated with the goddess and a symbol of prosperity, beauty and fertility. The generous modelling of the volumes, strongly accentuated narrow waist, elongated legs, regular folds of the garment and ornamental side panels are characteristic features of the aesthetic vocabulary of South Indian religious bronzes.
Following the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century, several Nayak dynasties established regional centres of power throughout southern India, notably at Madurai, Thanjavur and Gingee. During the 16th and 17th centuries, their courts continued and further developed the major artistic and religious traditions inherited from Vijayanagara and, more distantly, from the Chola period.
 
The production of devotional bronzes remained particularly important during this period. Traditional iconographic models were preserved, while Nayak sculptures tended towards increasingly abundant ornamentation, strongly rhythmic silhouettes and a more pronounced physical presence. Tall crowns, substantial jewellery, carefully structured garments and decorative contours assumed an increasingly prominent role within the composition.
 
This statue belongs to this artistic continuity. Its proportions and iconographic canon remain deeply indebted to the great bronze tradition of Tamil Nadu, while the richness of the jewellery, the tall headdress, the accentuated silhouette and the decorative treatment of the garment correspond to the artistic vocabulary developed under the Nayaks during this period.
 
Condition:
Bronze with a beautiful old coppery-brown patina displaying darker nuances, areas of wear and surface irregularities associated with its age and material history. Good overall condition considering its age. Magnificent patina.