G659.7 THREE BRONZE KINNARI FINIALS

KHMER, ANGKOR PERIOD

BAYON STYLE

13^TH CENTURY

H. 13.5, 13.5 and 15 CMS, 5 ¼, 5 ¼ and 6 INS

A set of three bronze finials or hooks, depicting winged Kinnari with their arms raised in lalita or dance mode, all with attachment loops and two with lotus adorned hooks at the rear.

Kinnari (male: Kinnara) are benign half-human, half-bird creatures that watch over the well-being of humans in times of trouble or danger.

These finials were probably once used to decorate a large chariot or palanquin, used to convey Khmer nobility or to carry temple icons in a religious procession.

Provenance: From the Estate of a private English collector. Acquired in the 1970s.