Dwarapalikas (Pair)

This is a pair of beautiful brass, repousse dwarapalikas (female guardians) from Karnataka. Dwarapalikas are guardians of the gate or threshold and are placed at the entrance of temples, shrines or sacred precincts dedicated to goddesses. They carry in their hands the emblem of the deity enshrined in the sanctuary, in this case a trishul (trident) which symbolizes Ma Shakti, or Durga in their upper right hand. In the lower right hand, they have a protective weapon (mace) and in the upper left hand they hold a serpent. Repoussé is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief.