Goddess with Weapons in her Hair, c. 2nd century BCE This bronze figurine was discovered in the present-day region of Kaushambi in Uttar Pradesh. She is considered a prototypical goddess, in keeping with prehistoric ideal of mother goddesses. The archetypal figures of a mother goddess, like the Venus of Willendorf and terracotta sculptures of Mohenjo-daro, date back to the origins of civilization. The weapons in the sculpture’s hair are linked to protection and survival, extending the language of motherhood to a figure that protects and fights. Owing to their similarity, she is considered among the earliest known representations of Hindu mother goddess Durga. The style of the artisanship suggests the ancient Magadha capital of Pataliputra (Patna) in the Ganges basin of northern India as its place of origin—attesting to the region’s influence in developing the iconography around her. Durga appeared in her fully elaborated form in the early fifth century in a rock-cut depiction at Udaygiri, Madhya Pradesh. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art @metmuseum