Brass Hanuman Hindu Ritual Hand Bell With Figural Handle & Engraved Decoration

Indian brass hand bell with a cast figural handle representing Hanuman.
Flared bell body with dense engraved scrolling foliage and floral ornament.
The handle incorporates a standing deity figure with a tall tiered headdress.
Complete with an internal suspended metal clapper.

Approximate dimensions

Height: 170 mm (6.69")

Condition

The brass surface has areas of dark discolouration and pale surface deposits, particularly within the recessed decoration and around the figural handle.

Description

A cast brass hand bell of Indian origin, formed with a flared bell body, rounded domed shoulder and tall ornamental figural handle. The overall form is consistent with a Hindu ritual hand bell or ghanti, used during worship and devotional ceremonies.

The bell body widens towards a broad circular mouth. Its exterior is extensively engraved with scrolling foliage, stylised leaves and floral forms, with punched and stippled texturing filling areas between the principal motifs. The lower rim has a repeated border of short diagonal incised strokes.

A raised rope-pattern moulding separates the main body from the domed shoulder. Further engraved foliate scrollwork decorates the dome, which rises centrally into a series of moulded collars supporting the handle.

The lower part of the handle is turned and cast in a succession of rounded collars and an elongated bulbous section decorated with vertical leaf-shaped recesses. Above this is a standing anthropomorphic figure with its arms positioned across the front of the body.

The figure has a prominent face framed by broad projecting forms to either side and wears a tall tiered headdress terminating in a pointed crest. The facial form and overall iconography are consistent with representations of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey deity. Comparable Indian brass ghanti are documented with Hanuman forming the handle, including a nineteenth-century example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The hollow bell contains a small approximately spherical metal clapper suspended internally from a dark metal loop.

Ghanti are traditionally sounded during Hindu puja and other acts of worship. Hand bells with deity-form handles were produced in India for both temple and domestic devotional use. The Hanuman identification is substantially more likely than the broader description of an unidentified anthropomorphic figure, based on comparison with documented examples.

The listing format and field selection follow the supplied listing requirements.

Object Type: Ritual Hand Bell
Material: Brass
Finish: Polished
Production Technique: Cast
Decoration Technique: Engraved
Style: Indian Hindu

Brass Hanuman Hand Bell Hindu Puja Ghanti Engraved Floral Decoration