Bastar Danteshwari on an Elephant From Chhattisgarh - 19thC

This beautiful Indian bronze elephant figure is mounted with a howdah (an elephant carriage). Inside the howdah is the goddess Danteshwarim whilst the elephant is controlled by a mahout (elephant keeper). Dating to the 19th century and crafted in the Bastar tribal style. Danteshwari is a common form of the mother goddess and the primary deity of the royal house of the state of Bastar in Chhattisgarh. 

Bastar is famed for its beautiful sculptures & statues which are crafted by the Ghasia caste using the dhokra (dokhra or dokra) or lost wax (cire perdue) technique.  

 

Dokra also spelled Dhokra- is a brass or bronze casting made using the lost wax technique. The process is commonly known as 'Cire Perdue.' The object to be cast is sculpted from beeswax mixed with a little oil. Once finished the entire figure is coated with clay made from termite hills to create the mould. The mould is dried and fired in an oven with cow-dung cakes. The wax melts leaving an empty clay mould in the shape to be cast. The mould is then heated and molten brass or bronze is poured into the empty clay-mould. Once cool, the clay mould is broken exposing the cast bronze figure. The casting is then cleaned and finer details are carved to finish the piece.

A similar example can be found at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (Arthur M. Sackler Gallery collection)

Examples of similar works were featured at a special exhibition entitled, "Street Parade of the Gods" at the Museum Rietberg in Zurich in July 2012.

From India

Dimensions:

15.5 x 30  x 46  (wxdxh cms)

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