Important Notice

CHHATTISGARH/ODISHA
20TH CENTURY

a) Bronze
7 in (17.8 cm) wide

b) Bronze
7.25 in (18.4 cm) wide

c) Bronze
4.5 in (11.5 cm) wide

d) Bronze
4 in (10.2 cm) wide

e) Bronze
5.25 in (13.4 cm) wide

f) Bronze
5.75 in (15 cm) wide

g) Bronze
5 in (12.6 cm) wide

h) Bronze
7.5 in (19.2 cm) high

i) Bronze
5.75 in (14.7 cm) wide

j) Bronze
6.75 in (17.7 cm) wide

(Set of ten)

PROVENANCE
Property of an Important Collector

This interesting group of animals were used either as votive offerings or as toys by the Kondh tribes.


Metal-working in eastern India, particularly in the tribal regions of West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, uses an unusual technique for moulding metal forms. The entire detailing of the outer surface of the sculptures is created with hand-drawn or press-ejected wires of beeswax, also known as dhuna. The result is a surface that resembles the texture of embroidery or baskets. The origins of this method may be traced back to the tradition of basket-weaving, munj grass constructions, and mat-weaving, which then spread to the interiors of eastern India.

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