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73 PRABHAVALI KERALA, 15 TH ‒ 16 TH CENTURY Bronze 48.75 in (123.9 cm) high Rs 1,00,00,000 - 1,20,00,000 $ 149,255 - 179,105 NON‒EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY PROVENANCE Private Collection, MumbaiThis magnificent
prabhavali
from Kerala must have
been a surround for an important deity in a shrine.
The
prabhavali
acts as an aura to an icon and is an
attribute used to denote divinity or royalty. Judging
from the large size and its casting as a free‒standing
nimbus, this may have been used in conjunction
with an
utsav murti
that was worshipped at
darshan
outside the temple premises or during special festivals.
The intricate decorations of the arch are symbolic of
fire and would have been a powerful backdrop to
the idol. Two
makaras
facing opposite directions
highlight the centre of the arch. Two bejewelled and
beautifully adorned
dwarapalikas
on either side with
yalis
atop, form the base from which the arch springs.