Tara is one of the most popular female deities in Buddhism and is revered for the protection and guidance she offers on the path toward enlightenment. Tara manifests in twenty-one forms, each representing specific qualities or actions, with Green Tara having a particular association with protection from fear. She is believed to have emerged from the tears of Avalokiteshvara as he wept for the suffering of all sentient beings, and is commonly depicted with her right leg outstretched, ready to respond to the suffering of humankind, as in the present sculpture.
She is seated in the posture of royal ease on a double-lotus base, her right hand held in the gesture of charity and the left raised to the chest in the gesture of elucidation. She holds two lotus stems with the blossoms rising to the side of her face, framing her benevolent smile. Wearing a dhoti and a loose shawl over the shoulders, she is adorned with turquoise and coral inlay ornaments around the waist and the chest.