Very rare antique, 18th – early 19th century, Indian Mughal period, a shield of a Christian Indian warrior, buckler. The shield is embellished in the center with a large Christian cross of St. Thomas (Mar Thoma Sleeva). This distinctive cross is the religious and cultural symbol of Saint Thomas Christians in India, also called Syrian Christians of India, Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani, Malankara Nasrani, or Nasrani Mappila.

The shield is made of hand-hammered solid brass...

Antique early 18th-century Islamic Indo-Persian Indian Mughal steel shield Dhal. The shield is circular and convex, hand-hammered from a single piece of thick solid steel with visible hammer marks on the inside but a perfectly smooth exterior surface.

The outer surface is extensively decorated with fine koftgari inlaid in silver...

Large mask representing the face of a Protector of the Buddhist Faith ("gompo"), with its typical terrifying expression. Wood, with beautiful dark glossy patina and traces of original polychrome pigments. Old accidents and old and local restorations on top of mask (no danger). Bhutan or Tibet, early 18th century, probably earlier. Height: 14" (35,5 cm). The mask is nicely mounted on a custom metal stand. Good condition. A rare piece...

Four 18th century Indian bronze chhappa (a tantric ritual stamp), their bases leaving imprints of: a sacred text, a conch shell and 2 of satkona yantra surrounded by sun rays. The chhappas were used during tantric temple ceremonies to stamp the proscribed parts of the body such as the forehead, cheeks, shoulders, forearms and stomach with a paste of white (for Vaishnavites) or red (for Shaivites) sandalwood...

18th century votive Indian bronze sculpture depicting bare breasted goddess Durga sitting on a lotus base and holding various implements in her hands. Durga is the warrior goddess, whose mythology centers around combating evil and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity and dharma of the good. She is the fierce form of the protective mother goddess, willing to unleash her anger against wrong, violence for liberation and destruction to empower creation...

This is an authentic antique Islamic Indian Mughal fine bidri hookah base from the 18th century. It was made in India (Deccan, Bidar).

The hookah is made of a zinc alloy and consists of two parts - a bell-shaped body and a short neck with a flanged collar and a trumpet mouth. The body is decorated with silver inlaid, three-lobed floral medallions amongst a continuous scrolling band of leaves and flowers of variegated shapes and sizes, compactly filling the black ground...

18th century Indian bronze votive sculpture of dancing Krishna playing a flute, cast in the State of Orissa. This avatar of Vishnu playing flute for gopis is known as Krishna Venugopala (as always in this image, flute was cast separately, and is missing). Excellent casting and detailing (see his eyes inlaid with silver), wonderful face, beautiful patina, very pleasant feel of age to the sculpture. Height 5 7/8 inches.

Statue of a guardian, with a large mustache, wearing a turban --- suggesting that the man belongs to the Sikh community --- and a uniform. Wood, with strong abrasion due to great age. India, 18th/19th century. Height: 37 cm. The statue is mounted on a custom stand. Arms and feet missing, otherwise good condition.

Rare antique Nepalese made of copper alloys traveling pen case and attached inkwell from 18th century Nepal.

The tubular pen case is finely hand-chiseled on the one site with 8 Auspicious Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism including:

The Conch, Parasol, Golden fish, Treasure Vase of sacred water, Victory banner, lotus blossom, endless eternal knot, the opposite site is chiseled with foliate scrollwork. The pen case is attached by three chains to the inkwell...

A well finished bronze figure of the infant Krishna, in the act of stealing pats of butter from his mother's kitchen. It's from India, probably from 18th century South India.

Approximately 7 cm long, 8 cm high...

Beautifully embroidered "Goa" priest vestment from india. Goa was a Portuguese colony off the coast of India. It is embroidered with shades of blue, red, pink, yellow, orange, and green. There is a floral scrolling pattern on front and back with smaller flowers.

18th Century

Size: 48" long by 26" wide.

Exceptionally fine and well cast bronze 18th Century Ganesha sculpture from Southern India with many details and a wonderful natural patina, clearly showing Puja (long term worship of object). Very good condition with one tine of trident missing from long ago (not recent loss). Superb specimen and rare because of it's size, i.e. H. 4.5" (11.6 cm.). Provenance: European Private Collection.

18th century Indian bronze votive sculpture of Radha beautifully flexing her body, her arms wide spread, a betel nut in her right hand, and her hair arranged in a bun, cast in the State of Orissa. Radha is a Hindu goddess and a chief consort of the god Krishna and is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion and devotion. She is the avatar of Lakshmi and is also described as the chief of gopis (milkmaids), who are entranced by Krishna playing flute...

18th century small votive Indian bronze sculpture cast in Karnataka state representing Bhudevi with bare breasts and closed blue lotus (nilotpala) in her hand. Bhudevi is the consort of Lord Vishnu and personifies the Earth...

Though the traditional practice of Tibetan "sky burial" is well known...

A pair of antique Rajasthan architectural fragments of warriors on horseback against foot soldiers. Hardwood mounted to a removable stand. Some loss to the carvings.

Age: 18th C

Approximate Dimensions Each: 9" Wide by 17" High by 4 1/2" Deep

A lovely smaller but massive heavy bronze figure of a seated deity, probably Sri Devi / Lakshmi, holding implements and tall headdress and a breast band around her sizable attributes, South Indian, perhaps Tamil Nadu, c. 17th.-18th. century or earlier.

Size: 86 mm. tall and weighing a hefty 342 grams.

Condition: Choice Very fine, lovely oold patina, with a fine chestnut brown colour from high copper content.

Ex. Old and important Private collection of Ulf Gudmu...

18th century Indian bronze votive sculpture of Ganesha sitting on a rectangular throne, with his vahana (vehicle) - a bandicoot rat - in his lap, and holding his usual attributes in his 4 hands. There is a protective naga (cobra) above his head. Ganesha is the remover of obstacles, and thus is invoked before any new undertaking such as marriage or new business. He bestows good luck on his worshippers, and is prayed to in some forms of Tantric worship. With Ganesha being a destroyer of obstacles ...