Shri Devi (protector), Dorje Rabtenma

This finely carved sculpture depicts the Indian goddess Shri Devi, whose violent appearance is really a manifestation of her boundless compassion. Among the many delicate details is the arsenal of magical weapons hanging from her mule’s harness. These include a bag of diseases, hanging in the front, and a ball of thread, hanging over the mule’s rear leg. This ball of thread would have been made from a string created from five colored threads (red, yellow, blue, green, and white), which can be used to bind enemies of the faith.