Hand-Painted Vietnam White Marble Saraswati Murti on a Lotus, 12in

Ma Saraswati sits in an easy sukhasana on a full-blown lotus, the veena held across her body and her front two hands at the strings and the neck. Her back right hand carries an akshamala and her back left a palm-leaf book, the two quiet emblems of practice and learning that make this form instantly readable on a study desk or a pooja shelf. Her face is young and calm, eyes softly lowered, with a small tilak and the faintest smile.

The murti is carved at 12 inches from Vietnam white marble, a cool, clean white stone with a fine, even grain that takes detail well: the strands of the rosary, the pleats of the sari, the tuning pegs and gourd of the veena. It is finished to a soft satin polish, so the stone glows rather than shines.

The painting is kept deliberately restrained. Her sari stays white, as Saraswati is traditionally dressed, with a fine gold border running along the pallu and hem. The crown, necklaces, armlets and bangles are picked out in gold, and the lotus petals are washed in a soft pink, while the stepped base is left as plain white stone. The result reads as a white marble murti first, with colour used only where it sharpens the form.

At 12 inches she suits a home pooja room, a mandir shelf or a child's study corner, and she makes a natural centre for Vasant Panchami puja. Each piece is made to order in Jaipur; if you would like a different height, a plainer finish without paint, or a change to the colours, ask us on WhatsApp and we will quote for it.