A WOOD RELIEF OF A DANCING DEITY, KERALA, SOUTH INDIA, 18TH TO EARLY 19TH CENTURYRichly carved and reticulated with a dancing male deity, his right hand raised above the head holding a sword, the left arm wrapped around a hoop, dressed in a dhoti and finely embellished with beaded and floral jewelry, a richly adorned scarf at the shoulders, the face with bulging eyes below arched eyebrows centered by an urna, a bushy mustache, and surmounted by a floral crown, flanked by a dancing male and female attendant, each adorned with fine jewelry, and in the top right with a vyala next to a parasol.Provenance: Jeremy Knowles Ltd., London, United Kingdom, 2006. A British private collection, acquired from the above. A copy of the original invoice from Jeremy Knowles, dated 2 April 2006, describing the piece as a wooden chariot panel, and dating it from the late 18th to the early 19th century, apanies this lot. Jeremy Knowles has been dealing with Indian and Asian works of art for over 25 years, specializing in fine and decorative sculpture and paintings. After working as a specialist in the Indian and Southeast Asian department of Spink and Son Ltd., he established his own business in 1993. He has previously exhibited at Asian Art in London, the Arts of Pacific Asia show in New York, and the Brussels Oriental Art Fair.Condition:mensurate with age, with obvious losses, expected age cracks, chips, scratches, splits, warping, wormholes, extensive wear, signs of weathering, and old repairs with remnants of adhesive, but overall displaying extraordinarily well.Weight: 15.5 kgDimensions: Height 58.4 cm (excl. base), 61 cm (incl. base)Wooden architecture is especially prevalent in Kerala, and ancient wooden prototypes are considered the forerunners of stone temple architecture. However, due to the perishable nature of the material and the tropical climate, only a few early examples have survived.A vyala is a mythical beast with the body of a lion and a horned, chimeric head. These figures are among the mostmon features of Indian temple architecture and usually act as brackets, set into the recesses of the exterior walls, typically supporting overhanging cornices. Theposite figure of a lion and a mythical head is a symbol of both royalty and the force of nature, and their placement within temple architecture often serves as an element of protection.Literatureparison:Compare a related wooden temple cart of Shiva as Bhikshatana, 19th century, in the British Museum, museum number 1997,0127.4.pare a related wooden panel of Shiva as Virabharda, 19th-20th century, in the British Museum, museum number 1997,0127.5.pare a related wooden bracket of a mythical beast, 17th-18th century, in the British Museum, museum number 1960,0225.1.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie's Amsterdam, 19 November 1997, lot 53Price: NLG 9,226 or appro