Green Tara, Seated in Pose of Royal Ease (Lalitasana), with Lotus Stalks on Right Shoulder and Hands in Gestures of Reasoning (Vitarkamudra) and Gift Conferring (Varadamudra) Possibly 1368 - 1644

Editor: Here we have a sculpture from the Sino-Tibetan culture, likely created between 1368 and 1644. It's a bronze figure titled "Green Tara, Seated in Pose of Royal Ease..." and she's absolutely mesmerizing! The bronze has a beautiful golden hue. What stands out to you the most about this work? Curator: Immediately, the labor involved in crafting this bronze figure comes to mind. Consider the extraction of the ore, its smelting, the molding and chasing – all processes demanding skilled labor, embedded within a complex social hierarchy that enabled its production. Think of the unseen hands, perhaps anonymous artisans, who contributed to the finished product. What was their compensation? Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn’t considered the people behind the creation, just the finished piece. Did the choice of bronze itself hold significance beyond its aesthetic appeal? Curator: Absolutely. Bronze wasn’t simply a neutral material. Its value made the sculpture a significant symbol of wealth and power. Furthermore, trade networks connecting the source of the materials with the patrons who commissioned it were strengthened through its production and dissemination. Editor: So, it represents a network of resources, labour, and power. It almost shifts how I view the image entirely; from religious icon to socio-economic document of the era. Curator: Precisely. The ‘Green Tara’ embodies religious significance while simultaneously revealing the underlying structures of labor and consumption during the Sino-Tibetan period. The very act of admiring the finished form needs to incorporate an awareness of the lives and circumstances that brought the art into existence. Editor: That provides a deeper perspective beyond just the image itself. It seems much more than aesthetic craftsmanship alone. Curator: Indeed, viewing it through a materialist lens allows a broader understanding of this remarkable creation, revealing not only skill, artistry and faith but also, the circumstances of the communities around its production.