Hand-Painted Vietnam White Marble Saraswati by the River with Her Swan, 20in

Saraswati at the water's edge

Her name means "the one who flows", and long before she was the goddess of learning she was a river. This 20-inch murti brings that older Saraswati back into view. She sits on a carved riverbank rock among lotus buds, one bare foot resting on an open lotus, and plays the veena with her head tilted gently over the strings. At the front of the base her swan, the hamsa, glides across carved rippling water, wings folded, neck curved toward her. It is a quieter, more lyrical form than a throne or a temple pose: the goddess at rest by a river, playing for no one in particular.

Four arms, two on each side

She is four-armed in the canonical way, with two arms on each side of her body. The front pair hold the veena across her lap, one hand at the strings and one along the neck below the carved scroll. Her back right hand lifts an akshamala, the rosary of japa and steady practice, and her back left hand holds a palm-leaf book, the sign of the Vedas and of learning itself. She wears a draped sari over a fitted choli with the pallu across her torso, a tall crown framed by a petalled halo, layered necklaces, earrings, armlets and bangles. Her face is youthful and serene, eyes softly lowered, with a small tilak and a gentle smile.

Vietnam white marble, painted in a soft palette

The figure is carved from Vietnam white marble, a bright, cool white stone with a fine, compact grain that holds small work well: the beads of the rosary, the pegs and gourd of the veena, the feathers of the swan and the curl of each wave. The stone is finished to a soft satin polish, so it glows rather than shines.

The painting is deliberately light. Her sari stays ivory, with its borders picked out in blush pink and sage green, and the crown, jewellery and veena details are touched in gold. The water at the base is washed in pale blue and the lotus buds in soft pink, while the riverbank rock is left as plain white stone, so the piece still reads as white marble first and colour only where it adds.

Where she belongs

At 20 inches she is sized for a living room console, a bookshelf niche or the corner of a music room, and the pastel palette sits easily in a modern, light interior. She makes a thoughtful gift for a musician, a teacher or a student, and a gentle centre for Vasant Panchami puja at home. If you would like a different height, a plain unpainted finish or a change to the colours, send us a message on WhatsApp and we will quote for it.