Plate with Nandi in Center
Unknown Artist
c. 1800
Medium
cloisonné enamel on gold
Dimensions
diam. 14.4 cm
Classification
Enamel
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin
Accession Number
1989.352
About this artwork
Petal-shaped canopies filled with floral designs and birds encircle an image of Nandi, the white bull mount of the Hindu destroyer god Shiva. Together they form a lotus flower. The birds are individualized species, showing the care of the metalworker to depict nature in all its variety and splendor. The fowl include peacocks, parakeets, bluebirds, and possibly even Indian rollers. To make the birds’ wings and the details on Nandi, the artist used thin gold wire to create cells, called cloisons, ...