Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Indian Subcontinent: India (62)

Unusual 18th/19th century small votive Indian bronze sculpture of Nandi - the vehicle of Shiva, or sometimes considered to be a form of Shiva himself. It rests in its usual position wearing rich trappings surrounded by numerous offerings. Very neat casting and detailing, great patina, compressed dust in crevices and traces of sandalwood paste used during worship, bottom is covered with red paste. Very good devotional object, wonderful feel of age to the piece. Length 1 3/8 inches.

Late 189th century Indian bronze votive plaque depicting Khandoba (a form of Shiva worshipped in Western India) mounted on a horse with his wife Mhalsa in his lap, and a dog following the horse. Khandoba holds various implements in his upper hands and a short sword in his left lower hand. Two round holes with raised lips on top probably signify the sun and the moon. Nice quality casting for that type of plaques, beautiful patina, the front is graciously worn from 200 years of worship...

18th century Indian bronze votive sculpture of Ganesha sitting on a square 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) wrapped around his waist. Ganesha is the remover of obstacles, and thus is invoked before any new undertaking. He bestows good luck on his worshippers, and is invoked in marriage ceremonies and in some forms of Tantric worship...

18th century or earlier Indian bronze lamp stand from Western India in a form of Garuda standing on one knee, his hands in praying attitude, his wings spread, and with a naga (cobra) rising by his right leg. Garuda, being the mount of Vishnu, is regarded as representing essential qualities of the deity in animal form, and was worshipped as deity itself. Very nice casting, pleasant patina from the piece being handled, devotional wear on the front. Height 4 7/8 inches.

18th century or earlier Indian bronze votive sculpture of standingmale figure with a dagger and a a lingam in his hands. I believe the image to be a rare 2-armed form of Govinda Bhairava, who is a syncretic form of Vishnu and Shiva. Wonderful casting, great detailing of his clothes and jewelry, beautiful devotional wear, excellent patina. Height 4 3/4 inches.

18th century small Indian bronze votive sculpture of Ganesha seated on elaborate 8-pointed base with the usual attributes in his hands, his vehicle - a rat - crouching in front of him and a naga (cobra) with its body rising along the back of the piece and the hood protectively spread above his head. Ganesha is the remover of obstacles, and thus is invoked before any new undertaking...

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...

19th century small votive Indian bronze sculpture of Ganesha sitting on a square base. Ganesha is the remover of obstacles, and thus is invoked before any new undertaking. He bestows good luck on his worshippers, and is invoked in marriage ceremonies and in some forms of Tantric worship. This Ganesha has his trunk turned to the left, and it is strongly advisable for worshippers to keep left sided Ganesha statue at home...

18th century Indian bronze votive sculpture of Nandi - the vehicle of Shiva, or sometimes considered to be a form of Shiva himself. It stands wearing rich trappings, Shiva lingam in front of him, and a protective Naga (cobra) with widely spread hood facing the lingam on the opposite side. Very nice casting, brassy metal, good patina and wear. Very good devotional object, pleasantly heavy. Part of the collection assembled by an American couple that extensively traveled in India in 1950s...

Late 18th to early 19th century small Indian bronze votive sculpture of Vitthali and his consort Rukmini standing on a base next to each other with an ornate probhavali behind their backs. Vitthali is regarded as a form of Vishnu or Krishna, h name means “standing on a brick”, he is usually shown in characteristic stance with his hands on his hips. He is also known as Vithoba or Panduranga, and is worshipped in particular in Pandharpur, not far from Bombay...

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 Indian bronze chhappa (a tantric ritual stamp), its base leaving an imprint of a peacock feather. 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. The marks on the body provide a visual display of the adherent’s devotion and transfer the beneficence of the deity to the wearer...

18th century Indian bronze chhappa (a tantric ritual stamp), its base leaving an imprint of a peacock feather. 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. The marks on the body provide a visual display of the adherent’s devotion and transfer the beneficence of the deity to the wearer...

18th century Indian bronze Shiva shrine from Western India in a form of a courtyard, the family of Shiva seated around a lingam, including his wife Parvati in her Annapurna manifestation and her son Ganesha, as well as Nandi bull and a seated figure of a shrine donor with offerings in his hands. The back halo has the protective naga (cobra) with its hood wide open, and there is a pile of offerings in the front right corner of the shrine...

18th century Indian bronze Shiva shrine from Western India in a form of a courtyard, the family of Shiva seated around a lingam, including his wife Parvati in her Annapurna manifestation and her son Ganesha, as well as Nandi bull and a seated figure of a shrine donor with offering in his hand. The back halo has the protective naga (cobra) with its hood wide open, and there is a pile of offerings in the front left corner of the shrine. Nice piece with good casting and detailing, beautiful patina ...

18th century votive Indian bronze sculpture depicting the mother goddess Durga slaying the buffalo demon, and a small figure of her mount on her left- a roaring lion - biting the side of the demon Durga is the most powerful female deity in the Hindu pantheon. She has a spear in one front hand, and is grabbing the hair of Buffalo Demon Mahishasura with the other. In her back hands Durga holds various weapons symbolic of the attributes of all the gods given to her to slay the demon. Great bronze ...

Unusually sculptural 18th century Indian bronze shrine in a form of a courtyard set around a Shiva lingam: Shiva and his wife Parvati, each one seated with one leg pendant, their backs against an ornate probhavali with sun and moon symbols, their elephant-headed son Ganesha, Nandi the bull of Shiva, and Naga (hooded cobra) rising protectively over the lingam. Very nice devotional sculpture with earnest casting and detailing, good patina from being touched during worship, a lot of compressed sand...

Late 19th to early 20th century Indian bronze votive sculpture of Ganesha sitting on Mooshika - a bandicoot rat that serves as Ganesha’s vehicle - on rectangular base. 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 and the deity of wealth, Mooshika the rat is perfect for the job: he gnaws t...