Theatre Dragon

British Museum

Tara 

Room 33 of the British Museum is a glorious display of Asian art and history. From this magnificent collection one artefact stands out – Tara, the Buddhist spirit of generous compassion. She stands on a plinth, kindly looking down at the crowds below. Once she would have been surrounded by chanting Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka, now she is surrounded by tourists from across the globe.

Her statue is cast in solid bronze. She has a golden exterior, with a completely naked upper body. The gentle face of Tara suggests compassion. Her well-rounded golden breasts are above an elegant waist which is draped in a light flowing garment that stops just above the ankles. Her entire figure is illuminated by the cooling light of Bloomsbury. In the words of Professor Richard Gombrich “I am not a religious person so I just see it as a wonderfully beautiful, and indeed quite sensuous, figure of a woman, and you can also see it is a work of extraordinary technical perfection”.

The Victorians, in a puritanical frenzy, hid this magnificent work in storage seeing it as too lascivious and erotic for public eyes; only scholars on request could access it. But this is a misunderstanding of what the statue represents –  she is a religious being, a compassionate spiritual protector, who combines divinity and beauty.

BY PERI NEWMAN

04.04.2023