18th/19th Century Gilt Bronze Figure of Ushnishavijaya

A gilt bronze figure of Ushnishavijaya, 18th/19th century, the deity with eight arms and three faces, seated in dhyanasana on a double lotus base, one hand in varadamudra, the other in karanamudra, the remaining hands posed to hold various attributes now missing, dressed in a dhoti, celestial scarf and adorned with jewellery, and jewelled tiaras surrounding the tall chignon. 23.5 cm high. Provenance: Private Collection, New Zealand, reputedly acquired during the 1970's in Japan or New Zealand., Ushnishavijaya is a female deity that is the personification of ushnisa, the Buddha's cranial protuberance. Ushnishavijaya was known in China from the 7th century AD, and it is believed that devotion to this deity was introduced by the Indian monk Buddhapali. Ushnishavijaya is depicted with three heads and eight arms, which are meant to hold a Buddha image, a Vajra, an arrow, a lasso, a bow and a vase with the nectar of immortality., Compare with a figure dated to the 18th century, sold Sotheby's, New York, 18 March 2015, lot 371, and a figure dated to the Qianlong period sold Sotheby's, New York, 14 March 2017, lot 556