Garuda - Orissa - 20 cm - Bronze - India - 18th century

Garuda in anjali mudra
Orissa (Odisha), eastern India, 18th century
Bronze
Dimensions : 20 × 13 × 10 cm

A rare bronze representation of Garuda, the bird deity and mount of Vishnu, from the cultural area of Orissa (present-day Odisha), a region renowned for its ritual and domestic foundries in copper alloy produced using the lost-wax technique.

The figure adopts a devotional posture, standing with knees bent and hands joined in añjali mudrā. The anthropomorphic body is crowned by a head with a prominent beak, elongated eyes, and broad ears, typical of the regional formal vocabulary. The tall conical headdress, very slender, emphasizes the verticality of the silhouette. At the back, broad stylized wings unfold in a fan, cut into vegetative lobes, a motif common in the sacred metallurgical arts of Orissa.

The surface features a simple engraved decoration (necklace, bracelets, stylized plumage) and a beautiful brown patina nuanced with green (oxidation), bearing witness to a long period of ritual handling. The stepped, moulded rectangular base reinforces stability and evokes small bronze altars intended for a domestic or village sanctuary rather than a grand temple.

This work nicely illustrates Orissa's popular style: compact proportions, expressiveness of the face, the graphic treatment of the wings, and a full, dense, and heavy casting.

Condition: beautiful, homogeneous antique patina, wear and polishing from use on the reliefs, light oxidation concretions on the base, small knocks and irregularities of the original casting. Old restoration at the base. The upper tip of the headdress/shaft and the nose slightly deformed by an old impact.

Provenance: Portuguese Collection - Kanaka The Collection

Shipping: Shipped with UPS / CTT with insurance and tracking
Possible to have a combined shipment with other items! Partial refund for the second delivery.