A CAST BRONZE HINDU CEREMONIAL LADLE WITH SHAIVA DEITIES, AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS, AND RURAL LIFE TOOLS AN EYE FOR DETAIL: PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE ESTATE IN NORTHERN LONDON Possibly Maharashtra or Southern India, 19th century Made of two individual parts joint together, the head of deep, hollow globular shape, resting on a flattened, circular base, chased in relief with rural animals and village tools including sickles, mortars, weights, a ladder, different types of knives, as well as auspicious Shaiva symbols like tridents, quoits, and a damaru drum, the long, flattened, foldable handle of tapering rectangular shape, with a drop-shaped tail and a lion-like mythical creature face at the end, the edges decorated with braided bands, featuring at the joint a small Shiva linga shrine, surmounted by a five-headed naga snake, Ganesha and another Hindu deity seated in prayer facing each other just outside the shrine, next to them Shiva’s vahana (vehicle) Nandi the bull facing the linga, the head 14cm diam., the full ladle 51.2cm long.