Enrica Medugno
Senior Sale Coordinator
Lot 125
A rare brass aquamanile with Krishna subduing the serpent demon Kaliya Deccan, 18th Century
12 November 2024, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £7,680 inc. premium
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Oliver White
Head of Department
A rare brass aquamanile with Krishna subduing the serpent demon Kaliya
Deccan, 18th Century
Deccan, 18th Century
in the form of a peacock on a square base, a flaring aperture with elephant head to the top of the peacock's neck, the figure of infant Krishna to the right-hand side of the peacock with Kaliya under his feet, holding a ball of butter in one hand, the 's' curved spout with makara head to base and terminating in a flowerhead, the spout surmounted by a small peacock
26 cm. high
26 cm. high
Footnotes
Zoomorphic metalwork has a long history in the art of India and the Islamic world, with items such as ewers and incense burners often taking the form of birds, and in particular peacocks. A Deccan incense burner in the form of a peacock, dated to the 15th/ 16th century, and featuring similar stylistic elements is illustrated in M. Zebrowski, Gold, Silver and Bronze: from Mughal India, London, 1997, p. 94, no. 87. An 18th century Deccani aquamanile in the same publication in the form of a bird bears a comparable curved spout to our example (op. cit. p. 99, no. 101).
However, the form of the present lot may also reference the association of Krishna with these birds, the god often depicted with peacock feathers in his crown, gifted to him as a symbol of gratitude by the king of the peacocks. A 19th century painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Accession Number 2021.215) depicts Krishna with the crown of peacock feathers in the act of subduing the demon Kaliya. The episode of Krishna subduing Kaliya is also apt for a water vessel, as the battle takes place in the Yamuna River, as depicted in the Metropolitan Museum painting.
The inclusion of the figure of Krishna on a vessel of this kind is rare. One example, a Tanjore ewer sold at Christie's, includes engraved representations of Krishna and Rama (see Indian and Himalayan Art Online Featuring the John C. and Susan L. Huntington Collection, 28 September 2022, lot 148). The Krishna of our aquamanile is more comparable to individual sculptural figures such as a 15th/ 16th century sculpture of Krishna dancing on Kaliya sold in these rooms (Bonhams, Arts of India, Southeast Asia & The Himalayas Online, 15-22 March 2024, lot 831).