water pot (water container (food service))

Beaten copper ritual water pot, or lota, decorated around the body with horizontal panels in repoussé and subsequent chasing depicting figures from Hindu mythology: Maha Kala, Agni, Hanuman, Krishna and Vishnu.

The water pot is sometimes used for puja. The numbers in white [there are numbers in black on the base]. 1. Maha Kala, in the form of Maha Pralaya: Eternity: the commemoration of all things. This is one form of Siva or Death or Destruction. 2. Agni. God of fire and love. Holds the rose and leaf - phallic emblems. He is equivalent to Phoebus with the attributes of Eros. The rose is the 'yoni' emblem and he is called the 'yoni' god i.e. the god with the organ of reception. 3. Hanuman. The monkey god. Son of Siva or Death. 4. Krishna. An avatar of Vishnu. He holds the serpent which he killed in infancy. The divine teacher and exemplar. 5. Vishnu. Holding two roses

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
4891
PLACE
COLLECTION
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
copper
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
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