20ft Bengali goddess on show at British Museum

The British Museum today looked to Bengal and Polynesia as it launched its autumn season of exhibitions.

In Voices Of Bengal, the museum will show-off many objects from the region which it has never previously displayed.

The highlight is a 20ft image of the goddess Durga, which was especially made for the British Museum by master craftsmen in Bengal and has been installed in the Great Court. The tableau depicts Durga killing a buffalo demon, surrounded by her children, including the elephant-headed god Ganesh.

The exhibition will centre on the rich storytelling tradition in eastern India. Sculptures, paintings and prints will depict narratives of the Muslim saints who brought Islam to the Ganges delta as well as deities and snake goddesses. Later this month the museum will re-trace Captain Cook's footsteps when it explores the notion of taboo in religion.

Power And Taboo will see the museum showcase examples of eastern Pacific material from the 18th and 19th centuries that symbolises the spiritual and political power of the gods in the island groups of Polynesia. Next year the museum will hold a China exhibition entitled The First Emperor.