Important Notice

Terracotta
17th Century

Nayak Dynasty

Tamil Nadu

Height: 34 in (86.4 cm)


The Madurai Nayakars were rulers of a region comprising of modern day Tamil Nadu with Madurai as their capital. Their reign was an era noted for its achievements in the fields of art, culture and restructuring of temples, earlier vandalized by invaders. The most prominent among their leaders was Thirumalai Nayak.

Terracotta is a medium that has been in use for several millennia. However most sculptures in terracotta are small in size, with the larger ones going up to a foot or two. This terracotta Horse is of a magnificent size. At first glance it could be mistaken for a stone sculpture due to its look and texture. It is only on careful observation that one can know that it is actually a spectacularly large sculpture in terracotta.

The Nayak rulers were horse lovers. Horses are prominently seen in ancient Nayak architecture. This particular example would have perhaps been part of town or palace architecture. It is an imposing piece. The horse is bridled. There is a lovely saddle-cloth and saddle-seat on its back with the horn and cantle easily visible, as well as the stirrup. There is a tassel-like decoration on the breast of the horse. The crest or mane of the animal is neatly cropped and the muzzle of the animal is slightly parted with its teeth visible. The beast has large and alert eyes, and a lovely long tail.

The subject, the enormous size, the beautiful patina, the lovely aged texture and the pleasant colour make it a highly attractive sculpture.

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