Sculpture en bronze d'une créature mythique, 10e-14e siècle

Description

bronze, missing part (tail tip), base

This marvellous bronze sculpture was probably used as an attachment or handle for an oil lamp. The mythical creature shows the body of a bird, depicting a rooster, or “garuda”, the “bird of the gods” and mount of the Hindu god Vishnu. Its head is formed by “makara”, a fantastic sea monster with a wide open mouth and elephant’s trunk. Another, smaller mythical creature, probably representing “singa”, emerges from the maw of the “makara”.

This object is a very good example of the style of East Javanese bronzes, with its dissolution of all forms into moving curves, volutes and twisted spirals.