A Tara statue represents enlightened compassion and protection in Buddhist art. In Tibetan traditions, Tara is understood as an awakened figure appearing in female form for the benefit of beings. The familiar names Green Tara and White Tara describe particular forms of that activity. Reading a sculpture means connecting this religious meaning with the posture, hands and attributes actually present.
Green Tara and White Tara: the main visual differences
| Form | Common identifying features | Religious association |
|---|---|---|
| Green Tara | One leg folded and the right leg extended; lotus attributes and a lowered giving hand. | Protective activity and liberation from fear. |
| White Tara | The familiar seven-eyed form has eyes on the face, palms and soles, with both legs folded. | Longevity and compassionate awareness. |
The Met's painting of White Tara and Green Tara, dated 1450–1500, places the two forms together. It shows their contrasting leg positions and their shared giving gesture. This is a documented comparison, rather than a dating template for another object.
Why does White Tara have seven eyes?
The seven eyes belong to White Tara's well-known iconography: three on the face, one on each palm and one on each sole. They express her encompassing awareness. Himalayan Art Resources' record of a White Tara painting in the Rubin Museum collection documents this arrangement and her association with long life.
On a small sculpture, examine the palms and feet as carefully as the forehead. Wear, coatings and the angle of a hand can conceal a carved or incised eye. Establish what survives before relying on an apparent absence.
What do Tara's hands and lotus mean?
The lowered open hand commonly makes varada mudra, the gesture of giving or granting boons. The raised hand can carry a flower stem. A Tibetan Tara in The Met combines varada with a teaching gesture. Descriptions of the raised hand must follow the particular image.
For collectors, the whole arrangement matters: count the arms, follow the surviving stems and examine the hands from more than one angle. A lotus alone is insufficient to distinguish every crowned Buddhist figure. Our guide to Buddhist mudras explains the gestures in their wider sculptural context.
Can a Tara statue be standing?
Yes. Historical Tara sculpture includes standing forms. The Met catalogues a standing Tara from Nepal's Kathmandu Valley in gilt copper, dated to the seventeenth–eighteenth century. Seated Green and White Tara are useful starting points, but a standing posture does not exclude Tara.
What are the Twenty-One Taras?
The Twenty-One Taras express different forms of Tara's activity. A fourteenth-century Tibetan sculpture in The Met presents White Tara with her emanations. This example demonstrates why a group of Taras should be read through its particular composition, rather than assigned one universal arrangement.
How we examine an antique Tara statue
Iconography establishes the represented figure. Attribution and estimated age require a separate examination of the sculpture itself. We study modelling, casting or carving, finishing, the base, inscriptions, condition and any documented history together. Our team supports this object examination with microscopy and UV light.
Check the surviving original parts first. A replacement hand can change the apparent gesture; a missing stem can remove an identifying attribute. Surface wear and colour are assessed in relation to manufacture and condition. A dark or green patina alone establishes neither a Tara form nor an antique date.
For a purchase, compare the individual sculpture's photographs, measurements, attribution and condition. Museum examples provide a reference for subject and artistic tradition; their dates are not transferred to a gallery object merely because its pose is similar.
Explore our Tara statues, or continue with the broader guide to Buddhist deities. For advice about a specific sculpture, contact our team.
