Clay Votive Temple Tile Bengal Province India 6th-10th Century

This beautiful old clay votive architectural tile was from Bengal Province in India, it was purchased in the 1960s in Bangladesh. Depicting a vibrant dancing figure wearing a headdress and is holding an object in each hand.  The dance pose is quite typical of those in Bharata Nrtyam, India’s classical dance.

In India West Bengal made a speciality of terracotta temples, with the sculpted decoration from the same material as the main brick construction.

Terracotta tiles have a long history in many parts of the world. Many ancient and traditional architectural styles included more elaborate sculptural elements than the plain roof tiles, such as Chinese Imperial roof decoration and the antefix of western classical architecture.

The soft colour on this artwork adds a lot to its presence.  Its in good condition except for a small chip on the right side of the headdress the figure is wearing as clearly seen in the photo.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Collection of Asian Art

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