Plaque with Local Deity Ghantakarna and Spouse

This small gilt bronze plaque from around 1600 comes from the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. It depicts Ghantakarna ("Bell-Eared"), a folk deity who evolved into a companion of Kumara (the Hindu god of war). Ghantakarna sits on a peacock with his consort on his knee. He displays four arms holding peacock feathers, a rooster, a serpent, and a gesture of reassurance. The plaque was designed for placement in a miniature home shrine.

In Nepalese folk tradition, Ghantakarna protected cattle and warded off smallpox, a devastating pre-modern disease. That practical function explains his popularity in household shrines, where families sought divine protection for their livelihood and health. The gilt bronze technique, covering a bronze core with gold through mercury gilding, creates the lustrous surface appropriate for a divine image. The piece is at the Art Institute of Chicago, a gift of Marilynn B. Alsdorf.