This 12″ Jetsun Dolma sculpture — Green Tara in her Tibetan name — is partly fire gilded in 24K gold, with turquoise and red coral stones already embedded in the crown and necklace by the artisan as part of the finished piece. The face is hand-painted with fine precision. The statue was handcrafted in Patan, Nepal by master Newar artisans using the traditional lost wax sculpting method, with detailed hand-carving throughout the robe and lotus pedestal.
The origin of Green Tara’s vow in female form is one of the most celebrated passages in Tara literature. In a previous lifetime, as the princess Ye-she Dawa (Wisdom Moon), she accumulated vast merit through devotion and offering over countless lifetimes. When monks encouraged her to pray for rebirth in male form so she could “better serve the Dharma,” she refused — stating that the distinction between male and female is itself a product of confused mind, and vowing to achieve full enlightenment specifically in female form and to work for the benefit of beings in female form until samsara is emptied. In Tibetan Buddhism she is regarded as having fulfilled that vow: she is a fully enlightened Buddha, her female form not a limitation but a deliberate expression of enlightened compassion in its most immediate and accessible aspect.
Jetsun Dolma Sculpture Features
Jetsun Dolma is depicted in lalitasana — the royal ease posture — seated with her left leg folded and her right leg extended, poised for immediate action. She is one of the most popular of the 21 Taras, her green color specifically representing the swiftness of her compassionate response — she is always ready to rise the moment her name is called. Her right hand displays the Varada mudra (gift-giving gesture) and her left hand holds the stem of the utpala lotus near the shoulder, the two flowers blossoming over each shoulder — a symbol of the purity of enlightenment rising above the conditions of samsara. Explore Green Tara’s posture, mudra & attributes in our complete Tara statues guide.
The turquoise and coral stones embedded in the crown reflect the dual color symbolism of Tara’s iconography: blue for the purity of the Buddhas and green for Tara’s active, ready compassion — combined in the turquoise that has been a sacred stone in Himalayan Buddhist art throughout the tradition.
Authentic, Handmade in Nepal
Every statue and ritual item is handcrafted in Patan, Nepal, using traditional lost wax casting and comes with a certificate of authenticity issued by Nepal's Department of Archaeology, verifying its materials, technique, and origin.
