Ritual Water Vessel from the Brahmapuri Hoard in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2023

Title: Ritual water vessel

Period: Satavahana

Date: ca. 2nd century CE

Culture: India, Kundangar, Kolhapur, Satara District, Maharashtra

Medium: Copper alloy

Dimensions: H. 4 3/4 in. (12 cm); Diam. 3 9/16 in. (9 cm)

Classification: Metalwork

Credit Line: Lent by Town Hall Museum, Kolhapur

Object Number: TS.366

Rights and Reproduction: Courtesy of Kolhapur Town Hall Museum

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.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/815796