A BRASS FIGURE OF KHANDOBA, INDIA, DECCAN, 18TH CENTURY
Well cast in four detachable pieces, the four-armed deity sitting atop his saddled and bridled steed on a stepped rectangular pedestal incised with cross-hatched, lappet, and grass designs. Khandoba is holding his attributes including the sword and trident. His head is surmounted by a conical headdress. The horse’s mane and tail are neatly incised. The elaborate mandorla is incised with petal-lappets below the open worked arch with scrolling nagas centered by a twisting cobra supporting a kirtimukha.


Provenance:
Indian Heritage, Paris, France, 6 September 2009 (invoice lost). Collection Particulière Française, acquired from the above
.
Established in 2006 by Frédéric Rond, Indian Heritage is a gallery specializing in Indian and Himalayan art. Located in St Germain des Prés, Paris, it offers a large selection of primitive and classical pieces.

Condition:
Good condition with minor casting flaws. Expected old wear, predominantly from centuries of worship within the culture, small nicks, losses, and rubbing.

Weight: 1,272 g
Dimensions: Height 21 cm


Khandoba
is a male Hindu deity of Southern and Western India who is still widely worshipped in Maharashtra and regarded as the guardian deity of the Deccan. He was originally depicted with the head of a dog, and vestiges of this remain in his worship to this day. His usual attributes are a sword, a trident, and a drum. His vehicle (vahana) is a horse and he may also be shown associated with a dog. The foremost center of Khandoba worship is the temple of Jejuri in Maharashtra. The legends of Khandoba, found in the text Malhari Mahatmya and also narrated in folk songs, revolve around his victory over demons Mani-malla and his marriages.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related brass figure of Khandoba on a horse, 37.8 cm high, dated to the 18th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 2008.645.2a, b.