Sanskriti Museum of Everyday Art

An Eight Armed Goddess

This finely cast bronze of an eight-armed goddess is most likely to be a form of the goddess Durga. She is shown as if seated on a pedestal (which is missing). Notably in four of her hands are empty cylindrical forms in which, in all probability, some of her emblems cast separately were pierced. Her fanning skirt and the posture of sitting is unique to this image.

Western India, mainly the western Rajasthan and the whole of Gujarat is considered to be the home of a large number of folk goddesses such as Bahuchara, Meladi, Shikotar, Shakti, Ambika, Vishat, Hadkai etc who are often identified with the goddess Durga in a process of Sanskritisation.

Goddess Kali Trampling Upon Shiva

This is perhaps the most mysterious iconographic renderings of Hindu mythology. The bronze image shows the popular theme of the goddess Kali trampling upon the body of her consort Shiva. Often this iconographic conception is associated with the Hindu tantrism.

It is believed by some scholars such as D. D .Kosambi that when the buffalo worshippers such as the Gavlis of Maharashtra came into contact with the Mother goddess worshippers of the migrant food gatherers initially there was a conflict between the two groups though later on the two deities got married, on occasion the goddess reverted to type by trampling upon Shiva(Mhasoba) as well.

Image of Goddess Lakshmi

Here the two-armed goddess Lakshmi is shown seated on her lotus-seat. The emblems held by her in her hands are a rosary and a pot. The goddess is being lustrated by two elephants flanking her head - her standard iconographic feature.

The goddess Lakshmi, also known by several other names such as Shri, Kamala, etc is one of the earliest female deities of India. She has been adapted also in Buddhism and Jainism. One of her earlier depictions is found in the relief panels of the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi.

Tiger Mask and a Breast-Plate

The mask and the breast-plate are a part of the ceremony of invocation of deified ancestors or certain deities, mostly related to the cult of the bhutha popular in coastal Karnataka. Bhutha Aradhane or the worship of the bhutha spirits comprises a periodic invocation of certain bhuthas or deities in the body of one of the priests (impersonator) amidst the recitation of paddanas related to the life of the bhutha spirit or mythology of local deities. When possessed by such spirits or deities, the priest wears such a mask on his head and the breast-plate on his chest depending upon the deity or spirit that possesses him. Tiger mask is used, among others, by the impersonator of the goddess Pilichandi (tiger-chamunda) who is believed to protect farmers and their cattle from the attack of tigers and other wild animals.

Presence of several cobra hoods on the mask and the breast-plate is rooted in the belief that snakes, which dwell the underworld, represent the spirit of dead ancestors.

Image of Durga Mahishamardini

This wiry but extremely expressive bronze figure of the goddess Durga compacts the widely popular Indian myth of the Mahishasuramardini. The image shows the goddess carrying weapons in her many arms and trampling upon Mahisha. Below her is decapitated buffalo from which the anthropomorphic Mahisha is seen emerging. The goddess’s lion vehicle too is seen attacking the demon. The entire scene is a tableau mounted on a pedestal.

According to Hindu scriptures, Mahisha the demon who was a devotee of Shiva was destroying the sacrificial altars of the sages. On complaint from the sages, the gods created Shakti or Durga to annihilate Mahisha. Empowered by the gods, Durga killed Mahisha and other Demons.

Ganesha

In this unique image of Ganesha, he is shown riding a dog or a horse instead of his usual mouse vehicle. This deviation is inexplicable and unique to this figure. The deity is shown holding a plate of sweets in his left hand.
The figure of his vehicle is perplexing and it is also likely that the maker of the image wanted to magnify the stature of his mouse vehicle and in the process made it to appear like a dog or a horse.

In the late 19th century, the Maharashtrian nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak organized public worship of Ganesha in which people of all castes could participate. Since then the annual Ganesha festival and worship has acquired extreme popularity in the region.

Ganesha

This cast bronze figure of the elephant-headed Ganesha has four arms. In his two upper arms he is holding Shiva’s emblems namely axes, while in the lower left hand is laddu ( a sweetmeat ball) and in the right one a siva-linga. His mouse vehicle is shown near his feet.

Ganesha and Kartikeya are two sons of Shiva. Ganesha is invoked for fruitful and auspicious beginning by the Hindus all over India.

Krishna playing the flute

In this bronze image of Krishna standing crossed legs, the deity is shown in the posture of playing the flute which is the only iconographic marker of the deity’s identity.
The image is crudely made and resembles in workmanship to the tribal bronzes of central India. Though Krishna is considered to be an incarnation of Vishnu of the scriptural Hinduism, the rural characteristic of the image invokes his massive popularity at the village level.

Hanuman

This cast bronze figure of the Hindu deity Hanuman is shown here in a playful mood with his tongue jutting out and about to spring in the air with his left leg raised to take a flight

Hanuman is shown here more like an anthropomorphic monkey than an obedient and loyal attendant of Rama, usually depicted seated at the latter’s feet.

Image of Vishnu

Here Vishnu is shown in standing posture holding in his four hands his iconographic emblems shankha (conch), chakra (discus), gada (mace) and padma (lotus). He is flanked by Lakshmi on his right and Saraswati on his left. In the center of the pedestal there is a depiction of Garuda, his vehicle.

Vishnu is a part of the most revered Hindu trinity of Brahma, the creator, Vishnu the sustainer and Shiva the destroyer of the Universe. Vishnu is an important deity of scriptural Hinduism and his origin goes back to the Rig Veda.

Amulet of Bhairava

This dye-cast silver amulet is worn in the neck by the priests and devotees of Bhairava. In his iconography, the deity is shown having four arms carrying weapons. Below his legs is his dog, the typical iconographic mark of Bhairava.

Silver plaque amulets of this variety are cast from a dye. A silver plaque of the size of the dye is placed over a dye which has the negative image of the deity. Between the plaque and the dye shellack granules are placed. The silversmith hammers the plaque till when the depiction on the dye gets embossed onto the plaque.

A Pot for Ritual Ingredients

The brass pot with heavy percentage of copper has a narrow heck and bulging belly. On the outer surface of the pot one sees images of a goddess, the sun and the moon, cobras and a reservoir of water.

One of the chief features of Hindu temple and domestic worship is lustrating of the sacred image with milk, yoghurt, water etc. the pot belongs to that class of ritual objects used for storage of such ingredients.

Conch Shell with casing

The sound of blowing of the conch is one of the offerings made to the deity in Hindu ritualism. This particular conch is encased in elaborate cast bronze casings. On top of the conch are mounted images of Krishna and his devotees. At one end of the conch there is a brass cap from which the conch is blown while from the other end an ornate plant issues out.

Shankha-nada or the sound of conch blowing is considered sacred by the Hindus and forms an important element of Hindu ritual practice. Conch is also one of the four emblems of the god Vishnu along with disc, mace and lotus.

Pot for sacred water and a serving Ladle

The octagonal pot of brass has fine floral patterns of inlaid copper and silver. The end of the ladle has the motif of Krishna quelling the sepent Kaliya while the spoon-bowl has fluted edges resembling a sugar melon cut into half.

The water sprinkled over the sacred image or even that used for bathing the image is offered to devotees for wetting their eyes and applying over the forehead as a mark of deity’s benediction. The priest offers such water from the pot using the elegant ladle such as this one.

A Miniature Shrine

The bronze cast miniature shrine with ornately perforated walls and gabled roof has a small flight-of steps (in imitation of its larger original), flanked by two images of elephants.
Such shrines were a part of domestic worship. Miniature bronze images of deities were placed inside for daily ritual veneration.

Mendicant’s Pot

This oval shaped coconut shell pot carried by mendicants has a wooden handle, a brass lid and a cow-head gargoyle from which water can be poured out by tilting the pot.

Mendicants used the pot for ablutions and for drinking water. The cow-head gargoyle makes the pot sacred for the Hindus as the water flowing from the cow’s mouth would be considered holy.

Pot for the water of Ganga/Sacred Pot

The pot is made by hammering copper sheet to shape, having floral repousse work at the neck and figures of incarnations of Vishnu on the belly. Filled with the water of the river Ganges and sealed at the mouth. Such pots were bought home by the pilgrims from Banaras and Allahabad.

The water was used for domestic Hindu rituals. Often a few drops were poured in the mouth of a dying person. It was also sprinkled on a dead body before cremation.

Shiva-Patra, A Ritual Vessel

The inverted minaret-shaped vessel has a bull-head shaped gargoyle at the lower end from which water filled in the vessel would drip drop by drop. The vessel is hung over a brass or stone linga, the phallus symbol of Shiva, which keeps getting lustrated by water or milk dripping over it from the mouth of the bull attached to the vessel.

Worship of linga, the phallus symbol of Shiva is an ancient Indian religious practice. The adherents of the lingayata sect of Karnataka even wear a miniature linga in a silver casket in their neck. Though the worship of linga is common among the Shaivaite Hindus all over India, it is especially popular in southern India.

A Mendicant’s Portable Shrine.

This painted wooden shrine, known as kavad is carried from place to place by its bhopa, the itinerant narrator - priest. The shrine has several flaps or shutters hinged to each other having elaborately painted, narrative scenes from different folk epics occasionally including scenes of hell punishments.
Kavads are made by local carpenters and painters in the Bassi village of Rajasthan. Depending upon the belief and religious practice of the concerned priest a kavad is ordered for making. The artist then paints the narratives accordingly. The narrator-priest opens the kavad flap by flap singing and narrating in prose the stories painted on them. The climactic darshan, envisioning of the deity, takes place at the end when all flaps are opened and the three sculpted images of the deities Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra appear in front of the devotees.

Portable Shrine

The miniature brass shrine is in the form of a shallow flat cabinet with two shutters. On the outer side of the shutters are shallow engravings of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanumana. The back of the cabinet is similarly engraved with plant motifs. A painted image of a deity was enshrined inside.

Among the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains there has been an old custom of carrying such portable shrines for worship while on a journey.

Kharau, Sandals as objects of worship

These cast bronze adult size sandals are made in the form of stylized shape of the feet. The sandals are raised in height by an ornate wall below the sole. Smooth knobs are provided for gripping the sandals between the toes.

These comparatively heavy sandals appear to be more for worship as marks of a deity or a holy personage rather than for wearing. For wearing in temple premises, holy men or gurus wore lighter wooden variants.

Mendicants Elbow-rest

Itinerant mendicants, while giving sermon or sitting in a yogic posture for long often used prop for resting their elbow. This elbow-rest comprises a lathe-turned vertical stick over which a carved horizontal element ending in beautifully worked tiger-heads is affixed. The vertical element has ivory inlaid geometric patterns. It is on this element that the user rests his elbow while balancing the prop on the ground on the vertical element. The horizontal element is firmed up in position by two iron cantilevers or brackets.

The elbow-rest is one of the essential accessories of a Hindu mendicant along with a kamandala (waterpot), a walking stick and a pair of Kharau, wooden sandals. Many a painting portraying mendicants depict them as their belongings.

Oil Lamp

This unique brass oil lamp imbibes into its design the principle of the Tantalus Cup. The lamp is in the form of deepalakshmi or the “goddess of lamp”- a female holding the lamp bowl in her left hand and a bottle of oil in the right. Oil is poured into the hollow body of the female from the opening over her hand which also flows into the bottle in her hand. As the lamp keeps burning the oil, the same quantity of oil keeps dripping from the bottle into the lamp bowl.

The ratio of level of the oil in the bottle and that in the lamp bowl are so adjusted that the lamp bowl remains always full and the oil stops dripping as soon as it reaches the brim of the bowl. The craftsman has skillfully imbibed the device of the Tantalus Cup in the making of this beautiful lamp.

Oil Lamp

This bell-metal tribal oil lamp, in the form of a peacock whose body comprises of a compartment for storing oil. On the back of the peacock there is a small nozzle in which a cotton wick is inserted so as to keep it soaked in oil.

Using the technique of cire perdue metal casting in which the outer surface of the core wax model is covered with multiple strands of wax wire, is used, with minor variations, all over the eastern Indian tribal complex comprising areas in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Oil Lamp

This oil lamp in the form of a female figure holding a large lamp-bowl in both her hands is remarkable for its harmonious proportions and elegant hairdo and clothing. The flaring skirt provides it stability when placed on the ground or in a niche.

Lamps in the form of females holding a lamp-bowl popularly known as dipika or deepalakshmi are common all over India but a large variety has come from Southern India. These form a part of the ritual accessory used in temples or at home in domestic shrines.

Oil Lamp

This brass lamp comprises a lamp bowl in the front, a container for oil in the middle, a ladle attached with a chain to the container for feeding oil into the lamp-bowl, and a handle, which is embellished with a figure of a hamsa.

The lamp incorporates the Hindu belief in akhanda jyot, which stands for burning the lamp without interruption. Here the lamp bowl is continuously refilled without letting the lamp extinguish even for a moment.

Incense Burner

The incense burner has a round bowl for placing coal to burn incense, covered with a perforated lid to let the perfumed smoke issue out. The bowl is placed in the centre of a square platform on each of the four corners of which is affixed a figure of the nandi bull. Below the platform is a brass pipe in which a wooden rod was affixed for carrying from one place to another to spread the smoke all over.

The presence of the figures of nandis, the vehicle of the god Shiva indicates that it came from a Shaivite shrine.

Lamp

This wooden lamp has several carved wooden bowls in two tiers. The lower tier has four bowls while the upper tier has two bowls and two horse-heads. The upper tier can be turned and so adjusted that the flames from the lower tier do not burn the upper tier. The lamp is mounted on a lotus-shaped broad base.

This light and portable lamp stand mainly carved and partly lac-turned is typical of wooden objects of everyday life of Gujarat and has aesthetic kinship with other objects such as the peg for hanging turbans, wooden chests, rolling pins for making roti, the Indian bread.

Inkwell with Pen-Stand

The cast bronze inkwell comprises two cylindrical compartments of which the main lotus shaped one is the ‘tank’ and the inter-connected smaller one is for dipping the pen for writing. The top covering element of the main well, in the form of a lotus-mandala, has four holes through which strings were tied to hang the object on the wall, after use, to prevent accidental spilling of the ink.

Available evidence suggests that the early Indian manuscripts were written on palm-leaves by incising letters on the surface. Writing with ink on paper seems to have appeared by the 12th century AD and is conjectured to have come from China.

Tools for Drawing and Writing.

The compass or the V-shaped hinged instrument for drawing circles and taking measurements is made of brass. One of its arms has a pincer-shaped claw for holding ink into it while the second one is pointed for lightly piercing into the surface on which a circle is to be drawn. The second instrument is a stylus for incising letters on palmleaf on which early Indian manuscripts were written. The stylus is an iron instrument embellished with silver rings.

The compass of this kind was mainly used for making astrological scrolls in which the various constellations of stars and planets were shown in intersecting circles. It was also used for drawing mandalas in tantric texts as well as a tool for learning geometry and making architectural drawings. The stylus of this kind is still in use in Orissa where the art of writing and drawing on palmleaf is a living tradition.

Writing Pad

The painted wooden tablet is adorned with a floral arch on top under which there is an image of Ganesha installed on a lotus platform with his mouse-vehicle next to him. The inscription on the pad mainly records the details of its ownership. The gable-shaped peg on top is to facilitate hanging of the tablet on wall.

The pad was used for placing a writing paper on it. Ganesha is considered to be a deity connected with learning and writing. It is believed by the Hindus that the Sage Vyasa, the composer of the epic Mahabharata, dictated the text of the epic to Ganesha.

Manuscript Cover

This folder-type cardboard manuscript cover is encased in satin silk embroidered on the front with silk thread embroidery depicting images of 14 dreams witnessed by the mother of Mahavira, the Jaina tirthankaras (or any of the 24 Jaina tirthankaras) during her pregnancy.

The 14 dream images which include an elephant, a bull, an airavata, the goddess Lakshmi, a pair of garlands, the moon, the sun, a celestial vimana, a bowl of jewels, and fire indicate that the cover was for a manuscript of the Shwetambara sect of the Jainas, as according to the Digambara sect, the mother saw 16 dreams and not 14.

Pen Case with Ink-Well

This brass ink-well with attached pen-case somewhat resembles a shrine with its spire imitating the shikhara of a Hindu temple. The sikhara of a classical Hindu temple is topped by amalaka or a fluted fruit. Above the amalaka is kalasha 'vase' also resembling the crowning brass element in the spire of a Hindu temple. The horizontal twin pen-case is meant for storing reed or nib pens. The lids of the case are connected with the well by a brass chain. The object comes from a well-to-do family of traders where it was used for writing accounts.

Ink Pot

This pagoda-shaped ink-well has a lid in the form of a tall spire. The hollow base of the spire fits over a nozzle at the mouth of the well below. A set of three pegs with perforations attached to the lid as well as to the well are meant to tie-up the former with the latter with a thin rope which also serves as a sling for hanging the ink-well on a wall after use to prevent spilling.

Ink Pot

This brass ink-well is in the form of a highly stylised elephant with the head , trunk and two front legs jutting out prominently from a bulging semi-circular body which serves as container for ink. On top of the well is a small opening with a lid in the shape of a kirtimukha, the preventor of evil eye. The writer dips the reed or nib of the pen into the well from this opening for writing. One of the possible objectives of having the elephant head on the well is to invoke the deity Ganesha who is proverbially believed to have written down the epic Mahabharata as dictated by the Sage Vyasa. Ganesha is also invoked by the Hindu trading communities at the start of their respective New Year, when new account books are opened.

Hukkah

The upper half of the coconut shell base of the hukkah which contains water is embellished with ornately filigreed and repoused silver plaques. On the colourfully lac-turned wooden pipe too silver discs are attached. The actual pipe is missing but a silver chain to be loosely attached to the base and the pipe is in place. The hukkah is placed on a brass stand which appears to be a later addition. The hukkah bowl in which burning coal is placed to ignite tobacco is missing.

On account of its non-porous fabric, hardness, ideal shape for the purpose and easy and inexpensive availability, the coconut shell has become one of the most popular materials for a hukkah base.

Hukkah for a Lady

This simple but ingenuously designed small, hand-held hukkah of brass is meant for a lady. The ring is the container for water. In the nozzle at the top a wooden pipe must have been affixed which held the hukkah bowl for burning coal. A pipe for smoking was once attached to the side nozzle.

The convention of smoking hukkah by women appears to be quite common as evidenced by several Rajput and Pahari miniature paintings as well as by the prevalent living tradition.

An Opium Container

This lathe-turned circular container is made by hollowing a piece of wood and is lined with brass rings at its narrow opening and with brass strips which strengthen the box from all sides.

The opium boxes from western India usually had narrow mouths to prevent the opium mixed liquid from evaporating or drying up.

Hukkah

This cast brass hukkah is ingenuously designed combining a mango-shaped water container adorned with a turned-neck peacock, an ornate lotus stem-shaped central pipe which culminates in a bowl for coal in the form of a blooming lotus flower.
The hukkah reiterates the fact that the Indian craftsman’s design inspiration came primarily from the objects of nature such as mango, peacock, lotus stem or the lotus flower which were adapted to overall form of the objects and its function. The hukkah seems to come from an upper or middle class family. Its graceful dimunitive form makes it suitable for a female smoker.

Hukkah Base

This cast bronze hukkah-base is in the form of a peacock with spread out feathers. The cavity on its back was for a pipe leading to the coal and tobacco bowl while from the hole on the side must have issued a pipe for smoking.

To avoid mouth to mouth pollution in community smoking, often the smokers brought their own mouthpiece to be inserted into the pipe and removed while passing on the hukkah to the next smoker.

Hukkah Base

This bidari work hukkah base is made of a special metal alloy comprising blackened zinc and copper which is covered with delicate floral inlay of silver foil, an art form introduced into lndia by the Mughals. The designs are rendered in floral patterns in the teh-nishan (inlay of sheet) and tarkashi (inlay of wire) techniques.

Bidar was the main center of production of bidari work but today Hyderabad has become the main hub of the craft.

Opium Grinder

This cast bronze, boat shaped opium grinder has at one end a linga or the phallus symbol of Shiva placed under a cobra-hood while at the other end is a stylised tiger head. Opium is mixed with water in the grinder and the liquid is taken out through the mouth of the tiger which acts as a gargoyle.

It has been a custom especially among the Rajput hosts of Rajasthan and Gujarat to feed a few drops to the liquid opium to their guests at community ceremonies such as wedding. On such occasion liquid opium is poured into the palm of the host from such a container as this through the tiger’s mouth to feed the guests.

Betel leaf Container

This dome-shaped copper and white metal container for betel leaf and ingredients was typically found in Mohammedan homes on account of its form resembling the dome of a mosque or a minarette as well as the crescent moon motif repeated all over.

Lime Container

This bronze cast, narrow necked and broad bellied lime container rests on an inverted, shallow bowl affixed at the bottom. Attached to the lid is a bronze pin which pierces through the former and goes right deep into the container. The pin, tied to the container with a brass chain is used for applying lime on betel leaf.

Traditionally betel leaf is consumed all over India with thin layers of wet lime and wet katechu in combination with sliced areca nut, cardamom, cloves and such other as per regional customs and individual taste.

Container for Betel leaves and Condiments

This peacock shaped brass container for betel leaves and condiments has two main compartments- the one in the bird’s belly has four cavities with lids in which lime, katechu, cardamom, cloves, pounded tobacco leaves etc are stored. The tale of the bird forms the second compartment having a flap lid hinged at one end, which is used for storing betel leaves. The neck and the legs of the bird are bronze cast.

The conventional betel containers were generally round or hexagonal boxes often having perforated lids for the circulation of air which kept the leaves fresh. However some fancy examples such as this one were specially made to suit individual taste. Early 20th century saw proliferation of betel boxes in the form of silver motor cars especially among the royal and aristocratic patrons.

Areca Nutcracker

This hinged nutcracker of brass is adorned with punched decorations on the surface of the metal while the handles are covered with strips of ivory for smoother grip. Cast bronze figures of birds are additionally attached at the end of the handles as well as on top of the upper lever. A sharp iron blade is affixed to the upper lever while the lower one has a flat surface to hold the nut in place.

The areca nut, slightly narcotic in character, is the fruit of the areca palm which grows in the vast coastal regions of India. It is consumed either with betel leaf or chewed independently.

Nutcracker

This iron nutcracker has inlays and attachments of decorative brass pieces including a peacock revetted above the blade. Two levers are hinged at one end. The handles are curved to make a convenient grip.

The culture of betel and areca nut chewing was probably introduced into India around the beginning of the Christian era in the coastal south India through trade with South East Asia from where it might have spread northwards. In terms of design, this nutcracker has affinities to the Burmese and Srilankan varieties.

A Collyrium or Vermillion Container

Cast in bronze this peacock-shaped collyrium or vermillion container is a fine example of paraphernalia of women’s toiletry objects. The body of the peacock acts as container for collyrium where as the gracefully upturned tail has a cavity for holding a circular mirror. At the back of the mirror there is one more container for any other ingredient for make-up. Through the opening in the bird’s chest a pin is inserted to obtain collyrium or vermillion for application.

Indian craftspersons as well as their patrons have often shown concern for imaginatively designing objects of everyday life imbibing forms of nature into their making. The Sanskrit word alamkara popularly translated as ornament or decoration literally means “to do extra”. This desire to do something extra is the beginning of making things “artistic”

Containers for Vermillion and Collyrium

This brass container having several compartments for collyrium and vermillion is adorned with figures of peacocks all around. The top compartment is for collyrium and opens with a lid hinged on one side. This compartment itself can be slid by pushing it aside to open the bottom compartment which is divided into two sections- one for the dry vermillion powder and another for the wet. To close, the upper compartment is slid back to position where it gets automatically locked up under the beak of one of the peacocks.
Such multi-compartment containers for collyrium and vermillion with deep aesthetic engagement in combination with compactness and smooth dovetailing of elements speak of efficient design in everyday life.

Container for making Collyrium and storing Vermillion.

This cast bronze container has three discs with shallow cavities for storing collyrium and vermillion. The discs are attached to a revette and are opened for use by sliding away one from another.

The top disc is held over the flame of an oil-lamp to collect soot in its cavity which is later turned into Collyrium by mixing ghee, camphor etc. into it. The middle disc probably had a mirror affixed to it.

Women’s Toiletry Box

This painted wooden toiletry box in the shape of a tiger contains a number of things that a royal lady required in the confines of the zenana.

Only refined materials have been employed: jade, ivory, damascened steel and mother of pearl with a generous use of gilt and gold painting.

The different objects in the box includes pair of scissors, knives, a fork, a hammer and an anvil, a magnifying glass, a razor, a saw, spoons, a tweezer, a file, a nail cutter, an ear cleaner, a kohl applier, a nut-cracker, a pen, a ruler, a comb and a miniature painting.
Another opening on a back of the tiger reveals a chaupad, a game akin to the Chinese ludo, with ivory pawns and dice, a shatranj, chess set, complete with chessmates, a pack of ganjifa, playing cards, a scale with rattis, tiny weights to weigh gold and precious jewels. A manuscript with a magnifying glass and painted ivory bottles of perfume.

Aranmula Mirror

The unique mirror made of a secret alloy of metals (not glass) is a specialty of the Achari craftsmen of Aranmula in Kerala. The circular mirror is encased in an ornate brass frame which is placed over a two-tier rectangular brass platform. At the bottom of the mirror frame are two incised figures of makara (stylised crocodiles)

According to a legend common among the Acharis of Aranmula, the secret of the alloy was revealed to one Parvathi Amma of the Vishvakarma community in her dream. The Acharis say that the shine on the mirror is on account of use of some powdered herbal leaves.

Toy Mobile of Musicians

This kinetic balancing toy has three painted wooden figures of musicians of which that of the standing female is mounted on the central wooden column while the two males are shown seated on square wooden plaques attached to two ends of a bent iron rod placed at the pinnacle of the column.

This kinetic toy, with its balancing device, when given a gentle push of the hand, keeps the musicians moving up and down until it stabilizes again. From the drape of the sari of the female and the turbans of the males it appears that the toy comes from Maharashtra.

Toy Horse Carriage

This meticulously designed horse carriage cast in bronze is so accurate in the construction of all its elements that it could almost serve as a to-scale miniature model of a real carriage alluding to axle, yoke, wheels with spokes, suspension device and a deck having elaborate chequered pattern of rope filling in brass and copper.

Yoked to the carriage are two horses decked with caparisons and mounted on wheels so that the carriage could be smoothly drawn on a string.

A Child’s Horse Saddle

This smaller than normal saddle of wood is encased in brass sheets with joinery strengthened with iron brackets, strips and nails. A piece of thick leather serves as cushion.

The saddle is meant for a pony or a small mule for a child to learn riding.

Cooking Pot

This rare cooking pot is cast in bronze in one piece. The outer surface of this heavy pot is variously ornamented. The collar is delicately adorned with incised floral creeper while on its belly there are figures of fish, peacock and chequered triangular forms.

A heavy layer of hardened black soot at the bottom reiterates its use as a cooking pot. The walls of such cooking pots were rather heavy to hold the heat longer to cook the food faster and retain it warm much longer.

Coconut Grater

This exceptionally well designed and crafted coconut grater has a rectangular carved wooden board adorned with peacocks at the head and floral creepers along the edges. Attached to the board is an iron blade having a circular saw-like grater below which a semi-circular bowl is carved out by hollowing the board. When a halved coconut is pressed against the grater and turned right and left, it gets grated and the pulp falls in the bowl below.

The coconut grater comes from Tamil Nadu. Grated coconut is profusely used in daily south Indian cooking. The elaborately carved grater certainly comes from an aristocratic Tamilian household. With the coming of mechanised or even motorized graters and grinders, the elegantly made grater of this genre is now relegated to museums.

Vegetable Slicer

The vegetable slicer made of cast bronze is in the form of a stylized rooster. The belly of the bird is a flat platform with four small legs and adorned with incised floral designs. The long and carved neck jutting out of the platform ends to form the head of the bird. On the inner side of the neck an iron blade is affixed.

While cutting vegetables, the user presses the knee or foot over the platform and slices them with the sharp edge of the blade. The slicer is designed so elegantly that it appeals as a piece of sculpture.

Peg for a Churning Rod

This wooden apparatus is a literal translation of a knotted rope into a wooden device commonly used in villages for holding a churning rod in straight position while churning buttermilk. It comprises two elements- one for tying the devise to a wall or a pillar and another with a hole for holding the churning rod. The joining of the elements in an actual rope device would be by knotting but here the two are linked together by wattling technique which provides scope for slight adjustment of the rod as would be the case with the original rope device.
Crafted with a rare and fine sense of design, the rod holder is finely carved, brilliantly combining beauty of form and functionality. The extra-ordinary smooth surface of the object arises from its use over the decades. Hardly any other example of this genre of object has come to light.

Sandalwood Grinder

This exquisitely carved round stone plate was used for preparing sandalwood paste used for ritual purposes. The obverse of the plate is just a grainy plain surface on which sandalwood stick was rubbed with water to obtain the paste. The reverse of the plate (as seen in the picture) was intricately carved with floral motifs.

This object speaks of the understated aesthetic engagement with an ordinary object of day-to-day use. The functional side (the obverse) is just a plain grainy surface while all adornment is done on its non-functional side which becomes visible to a viewer only when after washing the plate it is left for drying against a wall. The multi-petalled lotus medallion in the centre and the three tiny, half inverted bell-shaped lotus footholds in combination with a scrolling creeper along the edge make this object of everyday life a true masterpiece.

Ewer

This hammered silver sheet ewer is made in four parts namely the lid, the long neck, the bulging belly and the base. The belly has fluted pattern resembling those of a sugar melon. The lid is hinged to the mouth and has a small latch to close the ewer.

Such ewers were used for storing and serving wine in Iran as well as the central Asian countries as evident from the paintings from these regions. In India such ewers are a part of the central Asian legacy.

Ladle Hanger

This neatly carved and wattled wooden ladle hanger comes from a southern Indian aristocratic kitchen. The upper end of the hanger is crowned by a carving depicting a pair of parrots perched on stylised foliage. The bottom end has a carving of a swan. Between these two ends is a wattled panel comprising diagonally crossed bars having perforations between the cross bars. The handles of the ladles to be hung are pierced sideways into the perforations and then turned frontwards so as to keep them entangled in the slot and prevent them from falling. The ladle hanger is one of the finest examples of its kind.

Tray

This octagonal brass tray comprises a flat octagonal base in the middle from which rise eight shallow sloping walls on the sides. The base and the walls are advanced with finely engraved decorative motifs- in the centre a pair of peacocks in landscape surrounded by a floral border and on the side walls ten ornate leaves symmetrically placed.
The tray was meant for serving sweets and dry fruits on special occasion in aristocratic homes.

Spouted Pot

This simple but elegant vessel is bronze cast. Its collar is rather broad which allows holding the pot between two wrists by the user to wash hands by tilting it downwards without external help. The parallel running shallow diagonal trenches provide a good grip to the holder of the pot.

It has been a common practice in rural India to drink water from a cup formed by joining the palms and fingers of the two hands in which water is poured from a spouted vessel. This eliminates the possibility of pollution of touch by mouth of the drinker. Spouted vessels are also used by the adherents of certain religious groups for ablution which requires washing with running water.

Spouted Pot

This cast bronze vessel having a flat round belly and a somewhat elongated neck, a dome-shaped lid with a crowning figure of a peacock, and a spout is meant for pouring ghee or oil over roti or rice.

The peculiarity of this pot is that the spout is not totally round like a pipe as usual, but more like an open channel. Open spouts of this type have an old history in western India. Several fragments of earthenware spouted vessels from Harappan sites such as Kot Diji collected from the excavations have revealed this particular spouted vessel type.

Container for precious Clothes and Jewellary

This large, three tiered, dome-shaped container is made by hammering and folding brass sheets to shape and welding the joints. The container stands on three hollow brass legs and has strong latching and locking devices on two sides. On top of the container there are two heavy brass rings attached to the pinnacle of the dome. The dome-shaped lid has geometric repouse patterns.
This container known as dablo among its kathi users of Gujarat was used for storing precious clothes, jewellary, cash or any other valuables. It is believed that foreseeing a plundering raid, kathis lowered the container into a well and after the danger was over they pulled it out by a rope to which anchor-like iron device was attached at the lower end. The pegs of the anchor got entangled with the brass rings and thus the container was pulled out.

Spouted Pot

This spouted brass vessel for ritual ablution is typical of the South Canara district of Karnataka as well as the border areas of Kerala as indicated by the presence of the typically curved, upward rising spout in the region.

Spouted Pot

This cast brass vessel with high percentage of copper has a spout in the form of a cow’s head and neck. Water fetched from any sacred river or pond was poured over divine images or the linga (Shiva’s phallus) for their lustration.

Water passing through the cow’s mouth has special significance for the Hindus as it is considered to be the most sacred of creatures. Early Hindu texts refer to Kapila or Surabhi as divine cows.

Pot or Lota

The copper pot in the form of a fluted melon has a specially left out plain space on its belly where a pair of feet marks of Vishnu flanked by his emblems chakra(discus) on the left and shankha (conch shell) on the right are depicted in shallow incision. On the collar of the pot there is an inscription in Kannada which reads.

Container

This circular wooden container for day-to-day household goods with ornate brass hinges, a latch and a handle literally imitates the form of a fluted pumpkin or a melon.
Interestingly, forms of fruits such as mangoes, coconuts, and melons and vegetables such as brinjals, tori, paprika etc have inspired, all over India, the shapes and designs for domestic containers, especially for betel leaves, lime and tobacco and even for coins.

Betel Box

This large, circular betel container of brass has a number of perforated medallions all over its body and the lid. The container has an ornate latch hinged to the lid, a handle affixed on the top and eight small foot-holds at the bottom.

Consuming betel leaves with several ingredients such as wet lime paste, katechu, areca nut, cloves and even tobacco leaves has been popular in India atleast from the fourth century AD. This particular box with its large size and crescent moon medallions indicates that it came from a large aristocratic Islamic family.

Grain Measures

These hourglass shaped brass grain measures effectively imbibe form and function. Before the measuring of quantity of grains by weight became popular, a system of measuring by volume was in vogue in India. These measures belong to this latter category.

The measure is made by hammering the brass sheet to requisite shape and joining at one end by dovetailing and soldering. The top edge of the measures is lined with an extra metal strip to lend it strength. The larger measure has the name of the owner engraved on it. Before the advent of the British measuring system, Indians measured their grains in tolas and sers. One ser comprised of 80 tolas and was equal to 2.5 lb. For measuring grains, Indians had measures of different sizes based on the quantity to be measured.

Scale for weighing

This simple scale comprises a wooden stick adorned with cast bronze decorative elements attached to it at both ends. At one end there are bronze pegs from which the object or material to be weighed is suspended. The wooden stick was marked with numbers indicating the measured weight of the object to be weighed. A small, shifting string loop or sling is placed around the stick. After suspending the material to be weighed from the pegs at one end, the string loop is moved on the stick upto the point when balance is struck indicated by the stick attaining exact horizontal position. The weight of the object is indicated by the number on the stick where the loop strikes the exact balance.

This weighing device goes back to atleast the second century of the Christian era as shown in a Buddhist relief panel depicting one of the Jataka stories in which the Bodhisattva is asked to give to a king as much of the flesh of his body as the weight of a pigeon that he wanted to save from being killed by the king.

Bronze pegs from which the object or material to be weighed is suspended

Pali/Paili, Grain Measure

The handsome and well-crafted grain measure is made of brass and copper sheets. The basic structure is made of a copper sheet folded into a cylinder and joined by soldering. The outer surface is adorned with horizontal as well as vertical ornate bands which reinforce the sheet structure besides adding to its looks. Flat figures of cows, parrots elephants and a crescent moon cutout from a brass sheet are soldered on to the surface. A round copper plate is affixed at the bottom to hold the grain.

Before the advent of the British measuring system, Indians measured their grains in tolas and sers. One ser comprised 80 tolas and was equal to 2.5 lb. For measuring grains, Indians had measures of different sizes based on the quantity to be measured.

Bellows for Igniting Coal fire

The leather bellows mounted on ornately carved wooden legs has a mouth shaped like a stylised makara having protruding eyes, typical of southern Indian stone and wooden carvings.

Such bellows were used for igniting coal for large-scale cooking or even for melting metals or smelting iron by craftsmen.

Lock and Latch

Malabari teak is proverbially known for its durability and was profusely used in Kerala as building material but especially for making elaborately carved, handsome doors and large wooden chests. To match the finely carved decorations of the doors and chests equally finely crafted locks and latches of iron or brass were designed and affixed on to them. The present example is one of the most intricate and well-designed. Most remarkable is the trident-shaped peg in which the latch is inserted while shutting the door. The two side elements of the trident are in the form of a curved, elongated horse-neck while the central spike of the trident is a pointed arrow. The rod of the latch is held in position by ornate fixtures while the latch itself fits accurately in the lock below, which too is elaborately designed with perforations.

The most prominent element of a traditional Kerala house is its main entrance door which is embellished with finely carved decorative sections. The same is the case with its large wooden chests. To match the high quality of their design and aesthetic the iron locks and latches had to be equally beautiful.

A Padlock

This forged and lattice work iron padlock, in the form of a peacock is ingenuously designed. The main lock is in two parts-the belly and the neck of the bird is one part which has a locking device with a latch and the keyhole, while the tail is the second part which has a peg into which the latch gets inserted when the key is turned.

Before the arrival of the western locking devices incorporated into the door itself, a system of hanging padlocks on a latch attached to the door was commonly used. Blacksmiths designed and manufactured such locks, often with multiple levers for enhanced security. Nature of patronage and function defined the design and aesthetic quality of the lock.

Manuscript Basket

This elongated oval shaped basket, meant for storing manuscripts in Kerala is made of cane. It has two brass locks and latches on the right and left.
The pores between the woven strips of cane allow fresh air to circulate which prevent the manuscripts from soiling.

Farmer’s sowing Apparatus

This unique apparatus for sowing seeds in the field is made of bell-metal by using cire-perdue method of casting. Most of its surface decorations are created by using wax thread before making a clay mould. While sowing, the apparatus is attached to the plough with three hollow bamboo tubes affixed to it in three holes at its bottom which are inter-connected with the seed bowl at the top. As the farmer pours seeds in the cavity, these slip into the bamboo tubes each of which is directed to a furrow. As the farmer moves the plough, seeds tumble down into the furrows evenly.

Made with care and affection, the apparatus has two jingle bells attached to it. These produce a rhythmic sound as the plough moves. The apparatus used to be often ritually anointed before use along with other farm tools.

Child’s Rattle

This cast bronze rattle comprises a hexagonal central pipe to both ends of which perforated hollow bulbous elements having jingle-bells are affixed. Inside the bulbs a few small pebbles are put. As the child holds the rattle in its fist and moves the hand, jingling sound is produced.

Among several communities it had become customary to gift a silver rattle to a newly born baby by the relatives and friends on their first visit to the baby’s family. Often such rattles had a jingling device at one end and a whistle at the other.

Feeder of Medicine for Cattle

This traditional veterinary instrument for pouring medicine down the throat of cattle is made of brass. This rare instrument is in the form of a pipe of which one end is meant to be closed to hold the liquid medicine inside. One-third of the other end of the pipe is cut half vertically like an open channel. This portion is inserted into the mouth of the cattle and the pipe is tilted bottom upwards so that the liquid goes down directly into the throat of the animal.

The handmade instrument is a rare example of a local innovation to fulfill a day-to-day function. The form indicates that this brass instrument possibly derived its form from a bamboo prototype. Fine smoothening of edges and raised floral and geometric decorations on the surface are remarkable.

Turban Box

This round turban box with a dome-shaped lid made of cowdung mixed clay and papier mache is densely pigment painted depicting scenes from Hindu mythology as well as courtly life in a style remotely invoking the Kota idiom of Rajasthan. The painted scenes on the lid include vastra-harana or Krishna taking away the clothes of the bathing gopis, Krishna flanked by two gopis, Shiva and Parvati, and Ganesha being venerated by a female devotee.

The images on the box represent courtly life including royal personages riding an elephant or a horse, man combating a tiger, an aristocrat being carried in a palanquin and a female seated in a horse-drawn chariot.
The box was used for keeping laboriously wound turbans which were often embellished with ornaments studded with precious stones.

Chains for a Swing

Each of the four brass chains comprise several ornate links of cast brass intercepted by globular boxes having perforations. The upper ends of the chains were attached to hooks in the ceiling while the lower ends were connected to brass or iron rings attached to a rectangular wooden plank of the swing in its four corners.

The most remarkable feature of the chains is that in the perforated globular containers perfume dipped cotton or incense on burning coal was placed. As the swing moved, the room got filled with scented air.