This is an early specimen of the Panchachuda or a type of Mother Goddess from the Shunga period, dated between 2nd and 1st century BCE. She is seen here wearing five weapons in her hair, from which her name is derived. The ornaments are elaborate, the earrings are large and disc-shaped. With the exception of the missing feet, this figure is mostly intact retaining much of the rich ornamentation and her attendant’s. It is noteworthy that Mother figures and nature goddesses have been represented on Indus seals as three dimensional objects, and as relief sculptures all the way through Mauryan (323-185 BCE), Shunga (4th-2nd centuries BCE) and Kushana (1st-3rd centuries) periods.
