This is Gauri, the golden one/glowing one. She is a representation of Uma, consort of Siva. In this form, Gauri is worshipped in pairs. One of the pairs is normally smaller.

Worshipping of Gauri and Gauri’s head is prevalent in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Gauri puja festivities coincide with the Ganesha puja.

Notice the sharp nose, lotus petal-shaped eyes, eyebrows, shaping of the eyes, red painting of her lips, small mouth, large earrings, blackened hair with plait and hair ornaments. Gauri is meant to be beautiful, after all.

These bronzes are used year after year and often passed from one generation to the next. Normally, the eyes are repainted every year before the start of the worship period. Some mount the heads on a doll-like torso for worship.

Nowadays, these bronzes are getting replaced by heads made of synthetic material, and they are disposed of after the period of worship. The disposal may be influenced by the Ganesh idol immersion practices. Ganesha Puja coincides with the Gauri festival.

The head is about 12 cm in height, and it may not date earlier than the nineteenth century.