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Orissa
brass alloy
A finely crafted figure of an elephant with its mahout. The caparisoned elephant is adorned with head and neck ornaments and a decorated saddle cloth, and it has a lovely curled trunk. Atop the elephant stands the Goddess Danteshwari, enclosed in a howdah shaped like a prabhavali, forming a ritual arch around the deity.
The elephant was the vahana or vehicle of god Indra. Later it became associated with deities such as Lakshmi and Danteshwari (Durga). In art and literature it became a symbol of power and might and was associated with royalty and deities. Danteshwari Mata who is a form of the powerful Goddess Durga and is also the family goddess of the princes of Bastar. The last ruler of Bastar who died in 1966 was considered her incarnation. The goddess was brought to Bastar in the 15th century by Annamdeo, an ancestor of the princely dynasty. On the run from the advancing Muslims, he had sought refuge in the impassable mountainous region of Bastar. Legend has it that the goddess appeared to him in through his royal sword and showed him the way. The sword represents the power of the victorious goddess and bestows military prowess upon its owner.
Size (cms): 19(H) x 12(W) x 8.5(D)
Size (inches): 7.5(H) x 4.5(W) x 3.5(D)
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Karnataka
brass alloy
A stylised repoussé circular plaque depicting striding Hanuman carrying a diminutive Rama on his head. Hanuman has his right hand raised in the Abhaya Mudra, a gesture of reassurance and safety, while his left hand he carries the magic plant which will cure Lakshmana (brother of Rama) who was wounded on the field of battle. Hanuman wears a pair of padukas on his feet beneath which lies a slain enemy. Two parrots and a five headed snake (naga) forms a canopy above the group. Such pendants would have been worn by itinerant Vaishnava mendicants.
Hanuman is a popular deity who is worshipped all over India, particularly in villages and in the South. His story is found in the Ramayana where he is the ubiquitous servant of Rama, the epitome of devoted service and loyalty. His search for the heroine Sita, captured by Ravana, illustrates his superhuman powers and zealous performance of the tasks that were given to him.
Size (cms): 13.5(H) x 11(W) x 4(D)
Size (inches): 5.5(H) x 4.5(W) x 1.5(D)
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Karnataka
brass alloy
A stylised repoussé circular plaque depicting striding Hanuman carrying a diminutive Rama on his head. Hanuman has his right hand raised in the Abhaya Mudra, a gesture of reassurance and safety, while his left hand he carries the magic plant which will cure Lakshmana (brother of Rama) who was wounded on the field of battle. Hanuman wears a pair of padukas on his feet beneath which lies a slain enemy. Two parrots and a five headed snake (naga) forms a canopy above the group. Such pendants would have been worn by itinerant Vaishnava mendicants.
Hanuman is a popular deity who is worshipped all over India, particularly in villages and in the South. His story is found in the Ramayana where he is the ubiquitous servant of Rama, the epitome of devoted service and loyalty. His search for the heroine Sita, captured by Ravana, illustrates his superhuman powers and zealous performance of the tasks that were given to him.
Size (cms): 13.5(H) x 11.5(W) x 4(D)
Size (inches): 5.5(H) x 4.5(W) x 1.5(D)
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Central India
brass alloy
A lovely diminutive figure of a horse on wheels adorned with trappings and a decorated saddle cloth secured by ropes. Temple toys were used as ritual display in temples during important festivals such as Holi, Shivaratri and Durga Puja.
The horse played a pivotal role in establishing the supremacy of kings, as demonstrated, for instance by the great horse sacrifice, the Ashvamedha, which might have been established in the course of the Vedic period. Equestrian motifs appear prominently in Indian art, for example in Orissan sculpture of the 12th and 13th centuries, and in that of the late Vijaynagara and Nayak periods (early 16th to early 18th century) in southern India. There is a branch of literature specialising in the training of horses, which contains detailed passages on colouring, proportions, gait, auspicious and inauspicious marks and lists of appropriate names for horses.
Size (cms): 16.5(H) x 15.25(W) x 11(D)
Size (inches):6.5(H) x 6(W) x 4.5(D)
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Maharashtra/ Karnataka
brass alloy
This finely modelled brass horse is most likely a procession image or Utsav Murti. Its primary function was to be used in festivals and processions outside the temple. The ‘half horse’ would have been kept against a backdrop adorned with floral garlands and vermillion.
Shiva was, and still is, the tutelary deity of Maharashtra, originally being a tribal protective deity. As Khandoba, he was widely worshipped throughout this region and contiguous areas of Karnataka, Rajasthan and Andra Pradesh where he is also called Mallanna and Khanderao. The traditional vahana (vehicle) of Shiva is Nandi, the bull, however in the form of Khandoba he is usually portrayed on horseback and occasionally on a camel or elephant.
Size (cms): 38(H) x 22.5(W) x 14(D)
Size (inches): 15(H) x 9(W) x 5.5(D)
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Maharashtra/ Karnataka
brass alloy
This finely modelled brass horse is most likely a procession image or Utsav Murti. Its primary function was to be used in festivals and processions outside the temple. The ‘half horse’ would have been kept against a backdrop adorned with floral garlands and vermillion.
Shiva was, and still is, the tutelary deity of Maharashtra, originally being a tribal protective deity. As Khandoba, he was widely worshipped throughout this region and contiguous areas of Karnataka, Rajasthan and Andra Pradesh where he is also called Mallanna and Khanderao. The traditional vahana (vehicle) of Shiva is Nandi, the bull, however in the form of Khandoba he is usually portrayed on horseback and occasionally on a camel or elephant.
Size (cms): 35(H) x 10.5(W) x 18(D)
Size (inches): 14(H) x 4(W) x 7(D)
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Karnataka
Brass alloy with pigments
An exceptional, large Kirtimukha ‘ face of glory,’ plaque with bulbous eyes, small pointed ears and flaring nostrils. The Kirtimukha’s open mouth with large exposed fangs and exposed tongue gives it a mischievous appearance. Two floral sprigs emerge from either side of the kirtimukha’s face.
Kirtimukha is the name given to the grimacing face of a lion or Yali face depicted above the doorways of sacred precincts and on the aureole (prabhamandala) behind divine images. Its redoubtable aspect is supposed to avert malignant influences and to protect the devotees. This motif is also used in jewellery, eg on girdle clasps.
Size (cms): 46(H) x 55(W) x 7.5(D)
Size (inches): 18(H) x 21.5(W) x 3(D)
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Orissa (Kondh Tribe)
bronze
Within the hill and forest-dwelling Kondh tribes of India, figurative bronze sculptures of humans served as memorials to ancestors. Female figures were often depicted carrying children or with water vessels on their heads, while men were fashioned as musicians, hunters, or farmers. These sculptures were kept in baskets (burka) in adjacent rooms of the house (kodongijo) for use in rituals involving ancestor veneration and memory.
The Kondh tribes, indigenous to eastern India, possess a rich cultural heritage deeply rooted in their close connection to the land. Primarily agrarian, they cultivate crops like millet and rice while engaging in hunting and gathering. The Kondh people believe in building a vast community with the deceased, viewing death as a transition from one form of life to another invisible one. The involvement of ancestor figures in daily life expresses the clan’s desire for continuity, harmony, and solidarity between the material and immaterial worlds. As such, these figures were utilized in all social and religious activities.
Size (cms): 14(H) x 6(W) x 6(D)
Size (inches): 5.5(H) x 2.5(W) x 2.5(D)
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Karnataka
brass alloy
A fine brass repousse plaque. The central standing figure of Virabhadra is flanked by the diminutive figures of Bhadrakali and the goat headed Daksha. He is shown with fours arms in which he carries his usual attributes of bow, arrow, sword and shield. He wears a tall crown, a collar, two necklaces and sandals. A garland of skulls decorates the bottom of his dhoti (loincloth). The figures are placed within an arch or prabhavali at the centre of which is a kirtimukha (face of glory). A naga (serpent) forms a canopy above Virabhadra’s head. Symbols of the sun, moon, nandi and lingam are depicted on the plaque. This deity is a form of Shiva who created him to act as his henchman in his quarrel with Daksha. Virabhadra is worshipped especially in southern Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Size (cms): 24 (H) x 16 (W)
Size (inches): 9.5 (H) x 6.5 (W)
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Maharashtra/Karnataka
Brass
An attractive diminutive Gauri head with finely modelled features including necklaces, hair and ear ornaments as well as an engraved crown. Gauri is the name of a benevolent goddess, consort of Shiva or Varuna. Connected with the rains, she is reputed to be the source of the world and the embodiment of motherhood.
In household shrines in Maharashtra and Karnataka, the deity was considered a privileged house guest and treated accordingly. Images of the god were bathed, clothed, bejeweled and nourished in preparation for puja and darshan. Often elaborate turbans were placed on the head and bound by the finest cloths usually in the auspicious deep red colour. In some cases the masks were mounted on a wooden framework and covered with cloths. Sometimes separate metal cast arms and legs were attached to the figure, thus providing a more realistic depiction of the deity.
Size (cms): 12(H) x 9(W) x 8(D)
Size (inches): 4.5(H) x 3.5(W) x 3(D)
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Karnataka (South India)
Brass alloy
A very unusual Gauri head with large almond shaped eyes, pierced ears and a smooth rounded head.
Gauri is the name of a benevolent goddess, consort of Shiva or Varuna. Connected with the rains, she is reputed to be the source of the world and the embodiment of motherhood. She is depicted as a two-or four-armed woman of fair complexion, carrying in her upper arms prayer beads and a water pot, while the lower hands are in Abhaya and Varadamudra. She may also carry a mirror, a fish, a lotus, a trident and a floral wreath. Her mount is the godhika (iguana). Occasionally she is shown riding either a lion, a wolf, a pig or a goose.
Size (cms): 26.75(H) x 22.8(W) x 20.3(D)
Size (inches): 10.5(H) x 9(W) x 8(D)
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Maharashtra/ Karnataka
Brass alloy
Gauri is the name of a benevolent goddess, consort of Shiva or Varuna. Connected with the rains, she is reputed to be the source of the world and the embodiment of motherhood. She is depicted as a two-or four-armed woman of fair complexion, carrying in her upper arms prayer beads and a water pot, while the lower hands are in Abhaya and Varadamudra. She may also carry a mirror, a fish, a lotus, a trident and a floral wreath. Her mount is the godhika (iguana). Occasionally she is shown riding either a lion, a wolf, a pig or a goose.
Size (cms): 12(H) x 10(W) x 10(D)
Size (inches): 4.5(H) x 4(W) x 4(D)
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Maharashtra
Brass alloy
This folk bronze depicts a group of munjas (spirits) represented as five men, each holding a pair of sticks and adorned with a yajnopavita (sacred thread). These figures symbolise young men who tragically passed away at the age when they had just begun their studies. To honour their memory and appease their spirits, such figurines are placed on household altars. Through ritual ablution and ceremonies, these ghosts are believed to be transformed into pitra (protective ancestors) who safeguard the family.
Size (cms): 5(H) x 14.5(W) x 3(D)
Size (inches): 2(H) x 5.5(W) x 1(D)
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Karnataka (South India)
brass alloy
A striking Hanuman face with a protruding mouth and nose, curving moustache, bulging eyes and forehead tilaka. He wears a necklace and a rimmed and pointed crown.
Mukhavata or facial masks are two-dimensional metal castings of the crowned or turbaned heads of various deities, mostly manifestations of Shiva and Parvati. Included in this group are Khandoba, Mallanna, Gauri and Hanuman and their regional variants who are worshipped under different names.
Hindu devotees believe that when an icon is consecrated and its eyes anointed by the priest, the figure becomes a living god. In household shrines in Maharastra and Karnataka, the deity was considered a privileged house guest and treated accordingly. Images of the god were bathed, clothed, bejeweled and nourished in preparation for puja and darshan. Often elaborate turbans were placed on the head of the mukha-vata and bound by the finest cloths usually in the auspicious deep red colour. In some cases the masks were mounted on a wooden framework and covered with cloths. Sometimes separate metal cast arms and legs were attached to the figure, thus providing a more realistic depiction of the deity.
Size (cms): 35.5(H) x 26(W) x 11.5(D)
Size (inches): 14(H) x 10(W) x 4.5(D)
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Karnataka (South India)
brass
A striking Hanuman face with a protruding mouth and nose, curving moustache, bulging eyes and forehead tilaka. He wears a necklace and a rimmed and pointed crown.
Mukhavata or facial masks are two-dimensional metal castings of the crowned or turbaned heads of various deities, mostly manifestations of Shiva and Parvati. Included in this group are Khandoba, Mallanna, Gauri and their regional variants who are worshipped under different names.
The story of Hanuman is found in the Ramayana where he is the ubiquitous servant, the epitome of devoted service and loyalty. His search for the heroine Sita, captured by Ravana, illustrates his superhuman powers and zealous performance of the tasks that were given to him.
Size (cms): 32(H) x 19(W) x 11(D)
Size (inches): 12.5(H) x 7.5(W) x 4.5(D)
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Karnataka (South India)
brass
A finely cast lingam resting on the patterned coils of the serpent Vasuki which forms a canopy overhead.
The Lingam is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu deity Shiva in Shaivism. Lingams are shaped like a pillar with a round top and were made of stone, wood or metal.Eventually, during the Kushan period (1st century to 3rd century CE) in north India, human faces came to be added to the lingams, hence the name mukhalinga. This object marks the presence of the invisible transcendental reality of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction.
Size (cms): 19(H) x 6.5(W) x 9(D)
Size (inches): 7.5(H) x 2.5(W) x 3.5(D)
