The Vigraha is just about 5 cm in height. The artist has created a wonderful sculpture.

The four-armed Subramanya, son of Shiva and Parvati, is sitting on his Vahana a peacock called Pavani. His rear hands are holding double Vajra and Sakti and the front hands are in Abhaya (protection) and Varada (boon bestowing) mudra.

Take time to look at the peacock’s beak and in that space, the artist has made a cobra.

The two-level Padma Peetha, the subject matter and the material suggest this Vigraha is from the Tamil-speaking areas.

There is a fair amount of ritual-related wear and for a collector like me, the wear always gives comfort about the age and purpose of the Vigraha. Of course, there is an optimum level of wear, beyond which the loss of features, especially the eyes, starts to matter.

The Vigraha is about 5 cm in height and may be dated prior to the nineteenth century.

Note: It is the cobra in Pavani’s beak that made me buy this Vigraha.