Wonders in Wood

This is a figure of Garuda, a masterpiece in wood carving. Garuda is the vahana or vehicle of Lord Vishnu. Garuda is depicted in a kneeling posture with open wings. He is bejewelled and has the Vaishnavite mark on the forehead.  In this sculpture, the chest and face are covered with a thin sheet of bronze, from Vijayanagara, dated to the late 18th century.

Durga as Mahishasuramardini having eight arms with weapons, with the demon Mahishasura under her feet, most  probably from Kerala, South India, 19th century.

Sandalwood figure of Radha-Krishna in dancing pose, the figures are on an ornate pedestal with floral motifs. Lord Krishna is holding his flute in his right hand, from Mysore, dated to the 20th century.

Panel depicting Hindu deities Ganesha, Lakshmi and Saraswati in carved mandapas. The border of the panel is ornate and has distinct floral motifs at the corners, from South India, early 19th century.

Polychrome lacquered wooden sculpture of Manmatha, the Hindu god of love, standing on his vehicle the parrot on top of a rectangular pedestal with inverted lotuses. The figure is profusely carved with necklaces, ear rings, armlets, and depicted wearing karanda makuta. 

He holds a bow in his left hand and lotus bud in his right hand. His right leg is placed on the back of the parrot; his attributes being companionship of a cuckoo, parrot or humming bees which are symbols of spring season. 

The festival of Holi is celebrated during this time, possibly from Channapatna, dated to the 19th century.

Polychrome lacquered wooden sculpture of Rati, the Hindu goddess of love and consort of Manmatha, standing on her vehicle the swan on top of a rectangular pedestal with inverted lotuses. 

The figure is profusely carved with necklaces, ear rings, bangles, armlets and wearing a karanda-makuta. She holds a sugar cane in her left hand and lotus bud in her right hand. Her left leg is raised and placed on the back of the swan; the swan is holding a lotus stack in its beak, possibly from Channapatna, dated to the 19th century.

A small screen in four folds inlaid in ivory to represent creeper designs and flower plants all over. The big vertical panels have a geometrically stylised cypress tree in each, an exquisite object from Kashmir, dated to the 19th century. 

A wooden settee from Banaganapally in Kurnool, South India with the Salar Jung (SJ) monogram on top. It has a high back with a rectangular mirror. The king and nobles are on three elephants. Above this is a panel with a flower creeper design against blue background. The panel on either side of the mirror depicts flower plants and birds. The middle panel above the mirror represents a hunting scene, dated to the 19th century.

Wooden stool with octagonal top and foldable stand. Floral designs in the centre, around which are designs depicting a flower plant with a stork on either side in an arched panel, surrounded by flower creeper and leafy borders on top. An arch on each side of the stand with with flower plant in the panel above. All the designs are inlaid with ivory, from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, dated to the 20th century.

A wooden wall shelf fitted with metal plaques embossed with floral designs having two compartments on each side, from South India, dated to the 19th century.

Carving of an ornate pedestal, the figure is of a camel, standing on a carved pedestal and on its body is arranged the wooden stand. The stand on its surface has an intricate floral design having waving creepers and lotuses, broken at regular intervals by four flowers, from Madurai, dated to the 20^th century.

Carved wall plate representing lotus flowers, from Kashmir, dated to the 19th century.

A toy showing a single horned bull which may be similar to the Bolli Aavu, the unicorn cow that occurs in a Telugu medieval chronicle of a battle. Horn in the middle of the bull's head. The four legs carry the paintings of humans and Garuda from Kondapalli, Andhra Pradesh, dated to the 19th century.

A sandalwood carved screen in three folds, carved to represent Lord Krishna killing the snake Kaliya, playing on the flute, stealing butter, playing music seated on a tree, attended by gopis or cowherd maidens, creeper designs around, from Karnataka, dated to the 19th  century.