Artwork Details

Title
Green Tara
Dimensions
4 3/4 × 3 3/8 × 2 5/8 in.
Medium
Copper alloy
Origin
Tibet
Classification(s)
sculpture
Date
15th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, gift of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation
Object number
F1997.52.2
HAR Number
700035
Published references
*Glenn H. Mullin and Jeff Watt. Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Mystical Art. (Santa Fe, New Mexico: Clear Light Publishers, 2003). Pp. 59.* Van Alphen, J. Collection Highlights: Rubin Museum of Art. (New York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2014). Pp. 248-249

Begin your search...

Liberation

Concepts

The central goal of Buddhism is the liberation of all beings from suffering and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, known as samsara, through applying the teachings of the Buddha.

See more

Tantrism

Concepts

A religious movement that originated in India around the fifth to seventh century with sacred writings and esoteric teachings and practices transmitted from teacher to student through initiation. These remain an important part of Hinduism and Buddhism today. 

See more

Gender

Concepts

In Buddhism gender is considered more fluid compared to some other religions. Certain traditions emphasize the importance of all genders in achieving enlightenment. The feminine is considered an embodiment of wisdom and the masculine is an embodiment of method.

See more

Female Deities

Figure Type

Female bodhisattvas and tantric deities embody specific enlightened qualities such as wisdom, power, and protection, and can be peaceful or wrathful in appearance.

See more

Tibetan Regions

Region

Today, Tibetans primarily inhabit the Tibetan Plateau, situated between the Himalayan mountain range and the Indian subcontinent to the west, Chinese cultural regions to the east, and Mongolian cultural regions to the northeast. During the 7th to 9th century, Tibetan rulers expanded their empire across Central Asia, and established Buddhism as the state religion.

See more
Close

Sign up for our emails

Get the latest news and stories from the Rubin, plus occasional information on how to support our work.

Discover artworks, articles, and more by typing a search term above, selecting a term below, or exploring common concepts in Himalayan art.