Queen Maya is the mother of Siddartha Gautama. During her pregnancy, Mayadevi set out to give birth at her mother's home. They came upon a fragrant sal tree in full bloom. The young queen stepped down from her palanquin to approach the tree. Suddenly the pains of labor overtook her. As she reached up to the tree to steady herself, a flowering bough bent down to support her. There she stood and gave birth to her child, Siddartha, the Historical Buddha.

Depicted here, Mayadevi reaches up toward the sal tree, her lithe body rising in tribhanga as if in a dance. Embellished in an array of jewelry endorsed on her opulent form, the outlines of her slim body are fluent. Her breasts and hips are round, framing a contour with a jeweled hip belt, as her figure gracefully thrust outward in vibrant motions. There never was a more lyrical, felicitous image of birth. More importantly, as the Buddha's mother, Mayadevi is also seen as the generative divine mother of the enlightenment process. It is in this aspect that she is revered in this lush and frankly sensual work. This archaic piece was cast in two separate sections. It has aged beautifully, with the bronze color turned over time to a deep umber. Oxidation deposits mark the folds and grooves, showing a natural patina that flashes with areas of encrusted malachite. The fluid simplicity of the design has a hieratic dignity and an alluring eloquence. Her exceptional style and artistry appear to be consistent with its early 18th-century time period.