Image title: Sculpture of a Dvarapala (17th century)

Dvarapala
Nayaka, 17th Century CE Tamil Nadu, South India 
Ht. 124.0 cm., Wd. 58.0 cm., Dep. 23.5 cm. 
Bronze, Acc. No. 90.79

The Dvarapala stands on a rectangular lotus pedestal. A dagger with animal- shaped handle is inserted on the right side of his waist. He is characterized by arched eyebrows, goggled eyes, and prominent fangs.

Transcription (not proofread):

द्वारपाल
नायक, 17वीं शताब्दी तमिलनाडु, दक्षिण भारत 
ऊं. 124.0 से.मी., चौ. 58.0 से.मी., गह. 23.5 से.मी. 
कांसा, अवाप्ति सं. 90.79
द्वारपाल की यह प्रतिमा आयताकार कमल पीठिका पर खड़ी है। इसकी कमर के दाहिनी ओर पशु आकृति मूठ वाली कृपाण खोंसी हुई है। चापाकार भवें, बाहर को निकली हुई आंखें और स्पष्टत दिखाई देने वाले दंत इस प्रतिमा की विशेषताएं हैं।

dvārapāla
nāyaka, 17vīṃ śatābdī tamilanāḍu, dakṣiṇa bhārata 
ūṃ. 124.0 se.mī., cau. 58.0 se.mī., gaha. 23.5 se.mī. 
kāṃsā, avāpti saṃ. 90.79
dvārapāla kī yaha pratimā āyatākāra kamala pīṭhikā para kharī hai| isakī kamara ke dāhinī ora paśu ākṛti mūṭha vālī kṛpāṇa khoṃsī huī hai| cāpākāra bhaveṃ, bāhara ko nikalī huī āṃkheṃ aura spaṣṭata dikhāī dene vāle daṃta isa pratimā kī viśeṣatāeṃ haiṃ|

Gallery information:

These photographs are from the section “Bronze images” (kamsya) within the National Museum of New Delhi (India). Bronze images, small for domestic shrines or larger and hollow, are made using the lost wax process (madhuchista-vidhana). Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. The oldest group of bronze sculptures from the Indian subcontinent date back to the 3rd millennium B.C.E.