Antique Brass Veerabhadra plaque or Virabhadra Plaque

Antique Brass Veerabhadra Plaque

Size Descriptions:

Height : 6.75” Inches

Width : 5.25” Inches

About
This striking brass plaque depicts Virabhadra, a personification of the god Shiva, created by him to fight in his quarrel with Daksha. Here with 4 arms and hands, Virabhadra holds a sword and shield, arrows and a bow. A garland of skulls wraps around his legs. At his lower left stands Daksha, who had offended Shiva by not inviting him to a ritual he was performing. Shiva's wife Sati (a daughter of Daksha) stands at the bottom right. At the ritual Daksha insults his daughter so much that she jumps into a fire pit killing herself. This enrages Shiva who kills Daksha by cutting off his head in battle. The other gods then beg Shiva to bring him back to life because of his mastery of sacrifice and rituals. His head cannot be found so Shiva restores him to life with a goat's head.

This brass plaque is from Madras in South India.