Horse (Kutirai) offering

Maker(s)
Artist: M. Palaniappan (India, born 1949)
Historical period(s)
1985
Medium
Fired earthenware
Dimensions
H x W x D: 195.9 x 113.6 x 49.5 cm (77 1/8 x 44 3/4 x 19 1/2 in)
Geography
India, Tamil Nadu state, Sathiyamangalam
Credit Line
Gift of the Indian Advisory Committee for the Festival of India and the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Government of India
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1986.551
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Sculpture
Type

Sculpture

Keywords
earthenware, horse, India, offering
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

The horse is the most common form of terracotta presented to the gods. Since the time of the earliest conquerors who rode horses into India more than three thousand years ago, these animals have been associated with power and prestige. Though relatively rare in India today, horses remain symbols of kingship and military might.

Published References
  • Louise Allison Cort. Twentieth-century Asian Crafts in the Sackler Gallery. vol. XLIII no. 3. p. 18, fig. 1.
  • Stephen P. Huyler. Gifts of Earth: Votive Terracottas of India. New York, Winter 1988. p. 34.
Collection Area(s)
Contemporary Art, South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Whistler's Neighborhood
Google Cultural Institute
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