Image title: Enshrined Deity (Nepal, 19th century)

This Brass sculpture shows the image of an Enshrined Deity, from the 19th century (ca. A.D. 1831), originating from Nepal.—Materials used: Brass repoussé.

Description: Crowned and ornamented, the faceless deity represents an esoteric personal deity (istadevata). Its identity would only be known by the person who commissioned it, named in a brief inscription below. The deity occupies a shrine composed of an elaborate tympanum (torana) decorated with Garuda clutching anthropomorphized serpents. The torana is supported on columns above which are mythical creatures (makaras) and below which are lions. Riveted to the top is a tiered parasol that terminates in a finial (gajura) similar to the large one at the end of this gallery. Great skill is required to achieve such high relief in repoussé in a medium as brittle as brass..

Gallery information:

The Patan Museum is located on the Durbar square of Patan (Lalitpur/Lalitapura, Kathmandu, Nepal) which is associated Keshav Narayan Chowk (Keshavnarayan)—a form of Lord Vishnu. Being listed as a World Heritage Site, the whole of Durbar square is filled with exquisite temples, sculptures and other ancient structures, of which the ancient history history can be traced to the Malla Kings of Lalitpur. It is an important site for both Buddhism and Hinduism.