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Model bullock cart
India, Kundangar, Kolhapur, Satara District, Maharashtra
Not on view
A hoard of thirty-seven bronze and copper objects was excavated in 1945 at Brahmapuri, in Kolhapur, western India. The cosmopolitan mix of indigenous Indian objects and Roman imports suggests a merchant’s inventory of goods destined for sale in the Satavahana territories of the Deccan. The bronze Poseidon is one of many miniature copies after the lost original by the Greek sculptor Lysippos, images of which were issued on coins as early as 290 BCE. The group of locally produced miniature bronzes, including the toy cart and elephant with riders, points to an indigenous market for luxury novelties in metal. Other items in the hoard, including the spouted vessel, ring fitting, and set of auspicious symbols, suggest ritual use.
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