The tribal rider
The rider and his sceptre
€95.00
Tribal brass Bastar statue from South India representing a horseman with sceptre: Tribal art plays an important role in the representation of daily life. More...
Height : 5.71'
Weight : 0.8 lbs
Tribal Art
Lost wax casting
Origin : Chattisgarh - India
Free shipping in UE, Norway and Switzerland
Description
The Bastars people
The Bastar is a district of South India in the state of Chattisgarh, it was an independent kingdom from the 14th century until its integration into India in 1948.
The tribal population accounts for 70% of the population of Bastar district: the main tribes are the Gonds - the Abhuj Maria and the Bhatras. Most of them have kept their traditions (cooking, clothing, festivals...) and their animist religion.
The tribes still live mainly from agriculture and forest resources (hunting, medicinal plants, wood...).
Some tribes have devoted themselves to brass statuary art for more than 4000 years. This art, also found in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar... is called Dokra.
Dokra art
This traditional and artisanal art has not changed for millennia (more than 4000 years) and the technique used is still that of lost wax: a rough model in clay is made and then covered with wax by the artist who will give it its final shape with its details. The whole is again covered with a clay mixture and then heated in an open hearth where a copper alloy is cast. See Blog.
The objects produced by the Dokra artists can be of usual nature: dish, candlestick... musical instruments (brass), or artistic such as jewelry, animals: horses, elephants, turtles..., or statues of men and women representing scenes of daily life and Hindu deities adopted by the tribes: Ganesh, Lakshmi, ...
The rider although holding in his hand a scepter showing his position of command and leader in the community is dressed simply: a loincloth, a turban. Jewels are present but in a very discreet way.
The horse is well-proportioned and is much larger than the man whose legs appear very small. The ears are proudly erect: one feels a lot of nobility in this animal.
The whole of this statue reflects tribal life: a lot of simplicity, dignity (the man stands upright in the middle of his horse's back) and a great importance given to animals. Harmony with nature holds a primordial place among the animist tribes in India who cannot conceive of nature as their own. They form a whole with it and this sculpture marks this strong bond.
Inspired by your research
Bastar The Elephant
€295.00
Durga Mahishasuramardini
€270.00
Bastar Man bust
€195.00
Lakshmi Odisha lotus
€270.00
The seated Flutist
€395.00
The flutist
€99.00
The woman with scepter
€240.00
The seated musician
€165.00Last consulted
The tribal rider
€95.00Customer reviews
« Very happy with the gift I gave myself with the statuette of Shiva Nataraj representing the cosmic wheel with his multiple arms.
Bertrand Bellaize, through his relationship with Indian artisans, puts us in direct contact with tribal art, far from the international trade organized for mass production.
I can savor every day the purity of the delicate gestures of the Shiva and thus open myself to the surge of spirituality that this symbolism offers me. » (Pierre J)
« I, who often did not know what to give as a gift, here is the 3rd statue of Ganesh Art India that I offer in a year, this time a bust of a Bastar woman with an "inaccessible gaze". With joy in many facets: seeing the delighted expression of the person to whom I am giving the gift, allowing a gifted but unknown Indian artist to earn a little better a living and living a simple and perfect transaction with Ganesh Art India. Bertrand Bellaize is a reliable and careful person and his statues are even more beautiful in real life than in photos. » (Eric D.)
« The statue that I have just received is magnificent. A presence emanates from it which rejoices the heart. I would also like to compliment the Ganesh Art team for the extreme care they take in packing their statues. I find this love of a job well done very touching. » (Frederic B)