A
rare vintage tribal bronze Lord Shiva, in
a splendid early representation as Rudra, the God of Fire, the Hindu Vedic
divine force of creation and destruction, with
terrifying power to rule over various aspects of life, and benevolent characteristic
to heal and bestow blessings.
Gracefully
shaped in the archetypal form of the primordial generative force, he has a childlike
facial feature, with delicately modeled fingers in Dharmacakra mudra (wheel of
law); his naked body conveys an aquiline elegance as he is ascending on a two-tier
stand, with one foot on a fire wheel, and twelve flames blazing around his youthful
figure. The God is in a contemplative stance, his countenance are potent and powerful,
and radiates with an unique rustic beauty exemplary of Hindu tribal aesthetics,
and complex syncretism of the oldest deity in Hinduism.