This is Mahishasuramardhini (Mardhini for short), and it is a form of the Mother Goddess. In this form as the slayer of the demon Mahisha, she is worshipped all over India.

The story of Mardhini may be found in another blog.

By its nature, the depiction of Mardhini is always powerful. In this bronze, the power is amplified by the relative size: her stomping the buffalo, the sword poised over her head, her ease in pulling Mahisha from the buffalo’s body, the spearing of the buffalo’s body, and her left leg planted forcefully.

One of my collector friends, Ameet, pointed out the minimalist approach to the depiction. And that also amplifies the power.

The forehead wear is by design, and it is cast that way. The idea seems to be to provide a receptacle for the vermillion. The inlaid eyes and the tiered crown are features worth noting.

This is most likely from the Northern Deccan region, and it is about 15.5 cm tall. This Mardhini may be dated to the eighteenth century.

For comparison, I have included similar Mardhini bronzes from my collection. They are from Nepal, Gujarat, Karnataka and Orissa (In that order)