Horse Vahana

Karnataka

Wood polychromed

A delightful, richly polychromed horse vahana that would have been a part of a processional figure depicting the Goddess Durga. Every year, during Navratri, processional images of the Goddess are carried in evocative ceremonies. Depending on the day of the festival, her vahana, the vehicle on which she rides changes, with each of her vehicles holding a different and unique significance. The horse she rides here signifies her readiness for battle.

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): 40(H) x 31(W) x 16(D)
Size (inches): 15.5(H) x 12(W) x 6.5(D)