Bronze Bhuta Panjurli Riding A Wild Boar - 18th Century

This bronze Bhuta figure is from Karnataka and features Panjurli riding a wild boar. It is rare, a great collectors piece, and incredibly special dating to the 18^th century. Panjurli is the divine spirit of a male wild boar worshipped as a part of Bhuta Kola. Panjurli is usually seen with a boar head, but here, he has a human head with a stylised tusk shaped moustache. Panjurli is often seen with a bell in one hand and a sword in the other. The bell remains and the blade was originally movable but has long since been lost. Panjurli & his mount are cast separately and secured by a lug on his back. Both are finely cast with excellent proportions and covered in a rich patina. There are some firing faults which can be seen in photos in the tail area. 

Bhuta Kola is an animist form of spirit worship from the coastal regions of Karnataka and North Kerala. These ceremonies usually took place annually and were sponsored by wealthy Kshatriya caste families. Boars were often responsible for the destruction of cultivated crops in Southern India and the worship of Panjurli was an act of appeasement to protect farmers' crops. Panjurli was later absorbed into the Hindu pantheon as Parvarti's pet boar, killed, and later resurrected by Shiva. 

From Southern Karnataka, India 

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