1100, English, Object edition: Finial or palanquin mount, Garuda (the vehicle of Vishnu) and Naga, bronze, maker unknown, Khmer, 11...

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Finial or palanquin mount, Garuda (the vehicle of Vishnu) and Naga, bronze, maker unknown, Khmer, 11..
 
Bookmark: http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/172505860
Physical Description
  • Figures
  • 60 mm x 93 mm
  • Decorative Metalwork
  • Sculpture
Published
  • 1100-1199
Language
  • English

Edition details

Title
  • Finial or palanquin mount, Garuda (the vehicle of Vishnu) and Naga, bronze, maker unknown, Khmer, 11...
Published
  • 1100-1199
Physical Description
  • Figures
  • 60 mm x 93 mm
  • Decorative Metalwork
  • Sculpture
Subjects
Summary
  • Finial or palanquin mount, Garuda (the vehicle of Vishnu) and Naga, bronze, maker unknown, Khmer, 1100s. Small bronze finial or possibly a mount from a palanquin in the shape of a Garuda, the half-man, half-bird vehicle of Vishnu, standing on a naga (snake). The upright figure stands on one of the coils of the snake and the arms are outstretched in front of his widespread wings. The naga's coils rise corkscrew fashion behind Garuda while the hood of the snake is fully opened beneath his feet.
Notes
  • This small bronze figure, probably a finial or the mount of a palanquin, represents Garuda, a demigod with the head and wings of a bird and the body, legs and arms of a man. Garuda is the vehicle of the Hindu deity Vishnu and is often worshipped in conjunction with him. He is the emblem of strength and swiftness, king of the birds and symbol of the wind and the sun. The snake is a symbol of life and fertility thus represents the eternal cycle of time and immortality. This small image of Garuda is Khmer, from Cambodia, and is part of a collection of forty-one Hindu bronze miniatures assembled by the donor. The figures were made in India, Nepal and Southeast Asia over a period spanning eleven hundred years, and were produced for use in temples or in household shrines and by pilgrims. As an example of Hindu iconography, this image represents one of the worlds great and ancient religious traditions. Hinduism is as much a philosophy and culture as it is a religion, a rich and complex aggregate which has drawn on a collection of holy books and incorporated a wide range of influences since its origins around 4000 years ago. The multiple deities, demi-gods and heroes of the Hindu pantheon and Hindu literature reflect the syncretistic nature of Hinduism in their diverse forms and complex lineages, and are represented in a magnificent corpus of figurative sculptures, large and small. These images were intended to remind people of spiritual truths and sacred stories and to function as aids to meditation. They follow forms and dimensions that are carefully prescribed for each deity, and all parts and attributes such as the position of the body, the emblems and ornaments, and the accompanying minor divinities have significance.
Language
  • English
Image Number
  • 343339
  • 5047
  • 2003/​136/​31-1

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