Bracelet with Ganapati, Kirttimukha and Bharasadhaka Figures

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Rare for a jewellery piece this bracelet consists of many independently cast parts assembled and soldered together for creating a single article. Even the base-frame consists of five parts, three of them, the pieces of plain sheet cut and treated to desired sizes, and the other two, identically conceived and cast, constitute both, a part of the base-structure, as well as its decorative aspect with figural obverse. Two of the three plain parts frame the upper and lower arms of the base-structure, while the third, a circular disc, pack or support the deity-shrine from behind. The obverse of the two identical parts : long strips, have their bottoms cast with Kirttimukhas – mythical lions, also known as Shrimukhas, considered highly auspicious in almost every Indian tradition, ritual, social or cultural, defining the terminuses of the ornament. Not even a centimeter in length and breath, the Kirttimukha figures with all essential components, even the whiskers, wide open mouth and eyes, projected tongue and teeth among others, are most accomplished and complete.

From the head of the Kirttimukha on either side emerges a chased design – symbolic of a creeper, with a foliaged and branched apex. Couched on the creeper’s top there rides the figure of a celestial being with large wings and as large halo. With its both hands raised upwards the figure seems to be holding on them the bracelet’s central motif – the Ganapati shrine. In architectural terminology these figures, carved with brackets and hence also called bracket-figures, are known as ‘Bharasadhakas’ – load-holders or load-supporters. In divine iconography they are often seen as supporting the deity shrine, seat or chariot. In the depiction of body-gestures – upwards raised arms floating into air, widened and bent legs, projected eye-balls – sign of strain when holding a heavy weight, and overall excitement, that is, in sculptural quality, these tiny images are simply outstanding and amazing. This component with a long arm constitutes the central rib in the base-structure also.

The bracelet’s central part is composed of at least four components added with independently cast beads, five on the top of the frame’s central part, and five, opposite them, on the bottom, and decorative lace with chased leaf-design, around the oval socket framing the deity-image : the four-armed Ganapati. Obviously, the four-armed Ganapati image with trunk inclining to right, a less usual form of the deity’s trunk known as ‘valampuri’, seated in the posture identified as ‘utkut-akasana’, has been cast independent of other parts. The frame around the image of Lord Ganesha – a plain narrow strip of a thin silver sheet moulded to oval shape, as well as the tiny lotus seat that Lord Ganesha enshrines fixed with this frame, are other components independently smithed and assembled. The fourth component is the base-sheet which holds other three components as also the decorative beads and lace with chased leaf-design. Though not very fine or delicate, the bracelet is wondrously elaborate in rendering details, portrait-quality and vividness of imagery.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books. .