A copper alloy palanquin finial : a makara,
Possibly Karnataka, South India, 18th century or earlier,?

Ringed, its mouth wide open, its curling snout between two short tusks rising above its head,?

40cm. long

Provenance: Property of a Lady

Palanquins used to carry elite men and women in such processions were decorated with elaborate copper finials such as that offered here. These finials were generally of floral or, as with the present lot, decorated with animals. It has been suggested that floral finials, similar to a group now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1995.258a,b), were used for woman's palanquins and those with ferocious animals were intended for men (Stewart, op.cit.?p.248).
Some dents, dirt incrustation and light corrosion (vert-de-gris). Perforated to its end to accommodate fitting to the palanquin pole.

---------------------以下為軟件翻譯，僅供參考---------------------