Page 379 - Chinese Art Auction April 25, 2020 2020 Galerie Zacke

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A bhuTA culT MAsK OF A bull,
lATe 18Th – eARly 19Th ceNTuRy

South India. This heavily cast copper-alloy ritual mask belongs to the
Bhuta cult and represents Maisandaaya or Nandigona in the form of control of violence. Its four legs represent truth, purity, compassion and
a bull with large eyes, curved horns, and its tongue stretched out. A generosity. The fact of touching its tail is meant to deliver people from any
crescent and flower are finely incised on the bull’s forehead. kind of impurity.
The bhuta (spirit) is invoked in a highly stylized version of the ritual dance
Provenance: From a French private collection. (bhuta kola) of the spirit impersonator during a theatrical production
condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and casting flaws, some in which a world of supernatural beings is created by dancers adorned
small nicks around the eyes and horns. in colorful costumes including masks depicting various divine beings.
Interestingly, Maisandaaya is a mute spirit that does not appear in the
Weight: 3.1 kg (excl. base) bhuta kola but is venerated in bhuta temples. Masks of Maisandaaya, such
Dimensions: Height 51 cm (the mask) and 61.4 cm (incl. base) as the present one, are therefore much rarer than the more common
bhuta kola dance masks.
The totemistic origin of this bull bhuta is quite obvious in a land of
agriculture and farms where plows are pulled by bulls and where cow milk Mounted on an associated metal base. (2)
is one of the main sources of proteins. The link with Hinduism is also easily
established through Nandi, the mount of Shiva. Nandi, “the one who brings estimate euR 4.000,-
happiness” in Sanskrit, incarnates the interior strength brought by the Starting price EUr 2.000,-

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