131 - A NEPALESE BRONZE WATERPOT 18TH CENTURY

A NEPALESE BRONZE WATERPOT 18TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 15,5 cm Wide 9 cm Depth 12 cm Weight: 683 grams A finely balanced bronze pouring vessel with a full globular body set on a flared foot and a tall, waisted neck. The broad, flattened mouth is edged with a beaded rim, while repeated vertical flutes and narrow moulded bands give the neck a lively architectural profile. Rising from one shoulder, the curving tubular spout emerges from a richly ornamented animal-like mount with scrolling relief details. The vessel's warm golden-brown surface retains darker colour within the engraved and cast decoration, and slight variations of finish record its handling. In Nepal and the wider Himalayan region, vessels for pouring water occupy both everyday and ceremonial settings. The zoomorphic spout introduces a familiar South Asian association between flowing water and fantastic aquatic creatures, without requiring a definitive identification of the head. The object combines practical design with the ornamental ambition of a small ritual metalwork masterpiece.