This is a rare Deccan, cast brass, standing ram from North Karnataka or Maharashtra. The ram is decorated with neck ornaments (a chevron collar above a garland of bells) and an engraved blanket over its back. The front two hooves have anklets and there is a small incised circlet with a pendant on the forehead. It stands on a rectangular brass frame. In Hindu mythology, the ram is the vehicle (vahana) of Agni, the God of fire. Such pieces were often kept in the prayer room of houses in North Karnataka and Maharashtra.
"The ram loomed large as a religious icon across a great many cultures and was a part of the core of mythologies, of Pharoanic Egypt, pre-Christian Europe, Classical Greece, West Africa, and the Judeo-Christian tradition - and is often associated with celebrations of the “solar return” or return of spring and fertility after the hiatus of winter. Aries heralded the end of the season of death, and was thus also a symbol of fertility, new life and creative energy. Like the mythical phoenix, which arose in its own ashes, the ram was chosen as a natural symbol of resurrection because of its ability, when shorn, to replenish its stock of wool. The Sacred Ram is also considered a manifestation of the Sun-god and its creative power; a symbol of the resurrected Sun."
This piece is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
