German made porcelain slip cast figure of goddess Saraswati made for colonial Calcutta in the early 1900s. These figures were inspired by paintings by Raja Ravi Varma, who was the first Indian painter to apply European-style realism to Indian subjects, creating a unique style of Indian Naturalism.

Prints of his paintings became so popular that German porcelain makers started making figures based on his paintings, Victorian style figures based on Hindu mythology. These porcelain idols were at first available only to the urban elite, and then became very popular with the middle-class for their aesthetic beauty.

Here, Saraswati is depicted sitting on a throne, carrying her veena in one hand and a book in the other, symbolic of wisdom and the arts. Her foot is on the back of her swan. Her jewellery is very beautifully detailed and the folds on her sari are very realistic. Her face is very beautiful and serene, and has a somewhat European countenance.

The paint on these pieces has mostly been removed, and they are in excellent condition with no chips or cracks.

~ Eina Ahluwalia

Approximate Dimensions - 9 inches in height and 4.5 inches in width; Weight: 650 grams approx.

Note : These pieces are available with free shipping within India, we do not ship these internationally. Since most of these items are vintage, they are pre-used, pre-loved and beautifully aged. They may have scratches and scuffs, the plating may have worn off and occasionally some missing parts may have been replaced by the original owners. If you’re a regular collector you know how it is. Eina personally hand picks each item herself so inspite of their imperfections they’re still beautiful as they are. These pieces have been selected as décor pieces and not items of functional use. Please ask us any questions you have and we’ll be happy to answer them for you. We do not offer returns, refunds or exchanges on these items.