A painted wood head of a bull

Images of bull heads were often used in village festivals during harvest time in rural south India, where objects were central components of ritual practice. Wooden bull heads were attached to a body of bamboo, thatch, and textiles and carried in procession through agrarian landscapes. The bull image is a symbol of virility and pastoral life, but he is also associated with the god Shiva as Nandi, Shiva's vehicle, and with the king as a proclamation of prowess. The bridled snout suggests a ferocious ability, here rendered with distinct elegance, grace, and naturalism (compare with an example in the Spink collection, published in George Michell, Living Wood: Sculptural Traditions of Southern India, Bombay, 1992, p.133, cat. no. 8).

The craftsmen who produced this remarkable work have preserved the knowledge of wood carving for generations upon generations. Their mastery of the medium reveals an exceptional level of skill and expertise indicative of long-term sponsorship by communities of notable status. While large-scale figures of animals in painted wood can still be seen throughout rural South India, the delicacy of carving, detail of paint, and naturalistic beauty of the face suggest elite patronage for this particular image.