365 - TURTLE STONE INDIA 19TH CENTURY

TURTLE STONE INDIA 19TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 6,5 cm Wide 12 cm Depth 17 cm Weight: 1607 grams Carved in the round from pale stone, the turtle rests low to the ground with its head projecting forward and the limbs tucked closely beneath the body. The domed shell is articulated by incised polygonal divisions, while the head is treated more simply, giving the sculpture a pleasing balance between geometric pattern and compact natural form. A drilled opening is visible near the head. The tortoise has deep symbolic resonance in Indian culture. It is associated with Kurma, the tortoise incarnation of Vishnu, who supports the cosmic mountain during the churning of the ocean, and more broadly with stability, endurance and cosmic support. Tortoise forms consequently appear in both ritual and architectural contexts. The weathered surface and softened carving give this nineteenth-century example a tactile, understated character. Its appeal lies in the directness of the form: a familiar animal reduced to a broad shell, small projecting head and restrained linear ornament.