This two-armed goddess is holding a sword and a shield in her hands. Her graceful Tribhanga posture makes you overlook the aggressive brandishing of the sword. A point to note is the shield is resting on a cobra’s hood and not on the ground.

This is Bhadrakali from the Veerabhadra triad. A more common example of the Veerabhadra triad comprises of Veerabhadra, Daksha and Sati. In those triads, Sati is shown in Anjali mudra.

As per some traditions, Shiva created Veerabhadra and Bhadrakali to conquer Daksha. This Bhadrakali is from a Veerabhadra group. An example of Veerabhadra plaque with such a triad is given on our right for reference.

The Vigraha is about 10 cm in height and has a lot of Tamil Nadu features (Engraved pedestal, copper rich alloy, high crown and the Kosavum at the back). Based on the wear and style eighteenth century dating is suggested.

The casting is heavy and it is quite likely this is from the Mysore region.