This is Acchupta/Acyupta, one of the sixteen Vidhyadevis (The Goddess of learning) from the Jain faith.

As per The Jaina Iconography, 1939, by B C Bhattacharya ‘she is called Acyupta in the Svetambara literature and she is described as riding a horse and holding a bow, sword, shield and arrow. Acyuta as represented by the Digambara rides a horse and holds the symbol of a sword’.

The sixteen Vidyadevis are headed by Srutadevi and Saraswati. Somewhere Vidyadevis are connected to the Yakshinis.

The book Heritage of Metallic Art of Gujarat has an example (pages 151 and 152) and it is dated to the sixteenth century.

Here riding a horse, the four-armed goddess seems to be negotiating a ‘fence’. Inlaid eyes and inscription all around add to the charm and mystery.

Any help in deciphering the inscription is welcome. From the little, I could decode the dedicatory year appears to be 1386 CE.

The degree of wear gives credence to the inscribed date.

The Vigraha is about 11.5 cm in height and it is from Gujarat.