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Veerabhadra, Repousse Panel, Bronze, Possibly Karnataka, Southern India, ca. 1880-1900.

REGISTERED ANTIQUITY – NON-EXPORTABLE ITEM.

 

Object Detail

 

This is a bronze plaque prepared with repoussé technique and related to the rise of the Vīrabhadra cult in the Deccan and South India. They come from what is now southern Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This shows the historical roots and wide influence of the cult and its related art in regional sculpture.

 

The worship of Sri Vīrabhadra has ancient roots within Indian spiritual practices and is a vital aspect of Shaivism. He is considered an incarnation of Śiva, manifested during the destruction of Dākṣa’s yajña (sacrifice). According to the Śiva Purāṇa, the narrative involves Dākṣa, the father of Parvati Devī, who conducted a yajña without inviting Śiva and Parvati. After facing disrespect at her father’s home, she submerged herself in the fire. An enraged Śiva created Vīrabhadra to confront Dākṣa. Vīrabhadra subsequently beheaded Dākṣa, but, under Śiva’s orders, Dākṣa was resurrected with a goat’s head, allowing him to survive. The iconographic characteristics of Vīrabhadra depicted in the plaque reveal key details: he is often shown frontally, with his left foot turned outward or his body depicted in a dynamic posture, typically advancing to the left. His headgear is conical in shape with two horns protruding out from its ends, and the forehead has the application of Shaivite tilaka; his prominent moustache and long necklace of skulls are notable features.

 

He is four-armed, holding his attributes like a bow, sword, shield and a pike. On the foreground level, depictions typically include Dākṣa with a goat’s head, and Dākṣayani (his wife) positioned to the right and left of Vīrabhadra, respectively, with hands in the añjali mudrā. In the upper portion of the plaque, the bull Nandi (Śiva’s vāhana) and a liṅga (Śiva aniconic form) are typically depicted, each positioned at the ends. A halo (prabhāvali) surrounds Vīrabhadra, often with a kīrtimukha at the top and a serpentine hood above his head. Around his neck, he may wear a pendant in the shape of a Saṭkoṇa, a six-pointed star symbolising the union of Śiva-Śakti, essential for creation. This emblem also represents cosmic balance and harmony, integral themes within the iconography of Vīrabhadra.

 

Provenance

 

From a Private Collection in Mumbai, India.

 

Condition

 

Good Condition with minor wear.

 

Dimension

 

22 X 16.5 cm

 

Literature Comparison

 

1.Cinzia Pieruccini, “Vīrabhadra , the Dreadful Destroyer of Sacrifice. Representations in Plaques from South India,” Cracow Indological Studies 26, no. 2 (2024): 153–174, accessed [September 2, 2025], https://www.academia.edu/122545986/Vīrabhadra _the_Dreadful_Destroyer_of_Sacrifice_Representations_in_Plaques_from_South_India

 

2.Dr. Jayaram Shettigar, “Vīrabhadra  Cult in Western Karnataka,” International Journal of Current Science 14, no. 1 (March 2024): 31–39, accessed September 2, 2025, https://rjpn.org/ijcspub/papers/IJCSP24A1118.pdf

 

3.A. Gopinatha Rao, Elements of Hindu Iconography(1916; reprint, Internet Archive), accessed September 2, 2025,https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.277249/page/n256/mode/1up?view=theater

 

4.“SivaSakti.com, ‘Introduction to Yantra,’ accessed September 2, 2025, https://www.sivasakti.com/tantra/introduction-to-yantra/.”

 

5.Marilia Albanese and Renzo Freschi, “Vīrabhadra , THE DIVINE WARRIOR,” Renzo Freschi – Asian Art, October 18, 2022, accessed September 2, 2025, https://www.renzofreschi.com/en/Vīrabhadra -il-divino-guerriero/

 

 

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