Indian bronze figure of Surya with stand
Object No. 2003/136/16
This small bronze figure represents the Hindu sun god Surya, a powerful and popular deity of the Vedic period. As the sun he is the source of both light and heavenly fire. Surya is said to represent death as well as life and to be the intermediary between darkness and light. Subsequently Surya, like the other Vedic gods, became little more than a mythical figure. The figure is part of a collection of forty-one Indian bronze miniatures assembled by the donor. The figures were made in India over a period spanning eleven hundred years, and were produced for use in temples or in household shrines and by pilgrims. As an example of Hindu iconography, this image represents one of the worlds great and ancient religious traditions. Hinduism is as much a philosophy and culture as it is a religion, a rich and complex aggregate which has drawn on a collection of holy books and incorporated a wide range of influences since its origins around 4000 years ago. The multiple deities, demi-gods and heroes of the Hindu pantheon and Hindu literature reflect the syncretistic nature of Hinduism in their diverse forms and complex lineages, and are represented in a magnificent corpus of figurative sculptures, large and small. These images were intended to remind people of spiritual truths and sacred stories and to function as aids to meditation. They follow forms and dimensions that are carefully prescribed for each deity, and all parts and attributes such as the position of the body, the emblems and ornaments, and the accompanying minor divinities have significance.
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Summary
Object Statement
Figure of Surya with stand, standing on lotus base, bronze / wood / metal, maker unknown, South India or Orissa, 1500-1700
Physical Description
Figure: small bronze jungli (crude) figurine of Surya standing erect on a small round lotus base. Both arms are held forward, each hand holding a lotus bud. He wears full draperies hung from an ornamental girdle, a sacred thread, chest band, necklace, arm bands, bracelets and a five-tier crown. Behind the head is a large, round solid halo. Stand: flat rectangular stand with wooden base, green felt has been glued to the bottom and a two-pronged, metal support for the figure has been embedded in the top. The stand was made in the late 20th century.
PRODUCTION
Notes
The following characteristics of body position, features, and dress are identifiable forms of Indian iconography and assist with identification and dating. Ideally, the diameter of Surya's halo should be twice the height of his crown. Surya is here depicted holding two lotus buds which symbolize his creative function. He wears an ornamental girdle and a rolled cloth which hangs from the front of the girdle, a karandamakuta (crown), earrings and a heavy necklace (see Hindu Iconography by Margaret Stutley, pp 137-8). Interestingly, Surya's feet are visible and detailed when they are typically booted. The face is not well defined and the rear of the figurine is relatively simple. The figurine is bronze and most likely cast in the cire perdue (lost wax) method. Each piece was cast individually and in South India were always solid. Sculptors adhered to a strict code of rules, measurements and proportions
HISTORY
Notes
Small bronze figures like this, representing deities from the Hindu pantheon or the great Hindu epic poems, were made in large quantities throughout India for use in temples, in domestic shrines and by pilgrims. Small figurines were obviously less expensive and easy for pilgrims to carry around with them. Part of a collection of small bronze figures assembled by the donor. Most of them portray a variety of deities from India's Hindu pantheon and heroes of the Indian epic poems the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The donor purchased the first two pieces for this collection from Spink in London in 1968, and the rest from a variety of sources during the 1990s. This piece was acquired in August 1999 from Ray Tregaskis, Sydney, for $1500.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Alastair Morrison, 2003
Acquisition Date
13 October 2003
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
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