A BRONZE HILT, India, Karnataka, 18th century

Catalog notes:

The following subject was published in Arts of Asia, Autumn 2022, p. 86.

The spread of the cult of Virabhara, terrifying manifestation of Shiva and invincible warrior, was not only a religious issue but also connected with the clash between the Hindu kingdoms of central and southern India and the Islamic empire of the Mughal dynasty. Many weapons were then decorated with the image of Virabhadra to make them invincible.