A BRASS INKWELL


NEPAL, 19TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61723 6.5 cm (2 1/2 in.) high
|尼泊爾 十九世紀 銅墨水瓶This Nepalese inkwell is indicative of how religious art and the material culture of the Himalayas, up until the late 20th century, are really one and the same. The inkwell takes the auspicious form of a ritual vase, the kalasha. Intricate, but rubbed from plenty of use, it is difficult to identify its iconography, although it certainly depicts celestial beings. Some appear to be dancing, perhaps garland bearers, while others might be mythical creatures, garudas and nagas. Lotus and chord motifs continue the inkwell's auspicious imagery. Presumably this would affect the ink. For further discussion and comparable examples, see Slusser & Fuller, "Culture in Microcosm: The Nepalese Inkwell", Arts of Asia, July – August 1987, no.17, pp.78-87. ProvenanceDan Robinson, Oxford, 2016