Model bullock cart
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.A hoard of thirty-seven bronze and copper objects was excavated in 1945 at Brahmapuri, in Kolhapur, western India. The cosmopolitan mix of indigenous Indian objects and Roman imports suggests a merchant’s inventory of goods destined for sale in the Satavahana territories of the Deccan. The bronze Poseidon is one of many miniature copies after the lost original by the Greek sculptor Lysippos, images of which were issued on coins as early as 290 BCE. The group of locally produced miniature bronzes, including the toy cart and elephant with riders, points to an indigenous market for luxury novelties in metal. Other items in the hoard, including the spouted vessel, ring fitting, and set of auspicious symbols, suggest ritual use.
Artwork Details
- Title: Model bullock cart
- Period: Satavahana
- Date: ca. 2nd century CE
- Culture: India, Kundangar, Kolhapur, Satara District, Maharashtra
- Medium: Copper alloy
- Dimensions: H. 4 5/16 in. (11 cm); W. 5 7/8 in. (15 cm); L. 8 11/16 (22 cm)
- Classification: Metalwork
- Credit Line: Lent by Town Hall Museum, Kolhapur
- Rights and Reproduction: Courtesy of Kolhapur Town Hall Museum
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art