122 - BRONZE MASK INDIA 16TH CENTURY WITH SILVER TONG

BRONZE MASK INDIA 16TH CENTURY WITH SILVER TONG Dimensions: Height 37 cm Wide 38 cm Depth 12 cm Weight: 6668 grams A large and powerfully modelled bronze ritual mask of a fierce protective deity, with bulging circular eyes, sharply arched brows, flared nostrils and an open mouth set with prominent fangs. A broad silver tongue projects dramatically from the mouth, contrasting with the green-patinated bronze, while a radiating headdress of leaf- and flame-like elements frames the face and intensifies its confrontational expression. The exaggerated features belong to the visual language of wrathful and apotropaic imagery, in which terrifying appearance signifies the power to repel harmful forces rather than malevolence. The reverse is open, consistent with use as a ritual mask or architectural fitting. Extensive green patination, surface deposits and wear give the bronze a strongly aged character.