10th-13th century AD. A carved grey sandstone statue of a female deity, probably Lakshmi, wearing a long pleated sampot with frontal fold and belt; the face with benign expression, smiling with full lips; the eyes fully defined and slight ridge to the brow, elongated ears with vertical slits; dressed hair and scooped diadem tied at the rear, piled column above; mounted on a custom-made stand. 115 kg total, 1.45m with stand (57"). Property of an East Sussex gentleman; from his private collection formed between 1983 and 1990; formerly in a South East London collection formed in the 1970s; accompanied by geologic report No. TL005260 by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz. Lakshmi is an ancient Indian goddess of prosperity and luck first mentioned in the ?r? S?kta of the Rigveda. She was incorporated in the Vaishnava pantheon as the consort of Vishnu in the 3rd-4th century CE, to become the Hindu goddess of wealth, good fortune, prosperity and beauty.