Until 1st May, 2026
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A LOT WITH TWO BRONZE VOTIVE PLAQUES DEPICTING VIRABHADRA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
Lot 1435 - AK0126
India. Both figures depict Virabhadra, the four-armed deity, standing on a base within an arched niche surmounted by a kirtimukha mask. The deity is richly adorned with jewelry and holds a sword, shield, bow, and arrow in his four hands. To Shiva’s right stands Daksha, shown with a goat’s head. The Shaivite nature of the imagery is further emphasized by the cobra canopy above.
Provenance: Austrian private collection.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, tiny nicks, small losses, and casting flaws. The bronze with a naturally grown patina.
Weight: 1,382 g (total incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 21-21.5 cm (shield excl. stand), 23.2-27.5 cm (shield incl. stand)
Each with a modern stand. (4)
Virabhadra, an incarnation of Shiva, created after Shiva’s wife Sati, was not invited to a great sacrifice given by her father Daksha. Being greatly humiliated, Sati went to the banquet and threw herself on the sacrificial fire. When Shiva heard of his wife’s death, he tore a hair from his head and threw it to the ground. Virabhadra, a great hero-warrior, arose from this hair. He cut off Daksha’s head in his rage and hurled it into the sacrificial fire. After the other gods calmed Shiva down, Daksha’s head was replaced by that of a ram and he later became a devotee of Shiva.
Museum comparison:
Compare a related brass votive plaque, in the World Museum Vienna, inventory number 167004.
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