Indian Bronze Mold for Amulet

Tall standing figure fills a long slab with worn, tender detail.

This bronze mold for casting or pressing amulets is from India, and dates to the early 20th century. The design on a mold is cut in reverse, so the finished impression reads the right way round only once it has been taken from the mold. Taller, roughly rectangular plaque with a peaked top and a beaded border. A standing figure with a halo and several arms stretches along its length, the relief soft and worn. The edges are uneven, and the surface is green-brown. It is 1.25 inches wide, 1.75 deep and 0.25 high.

Soft edges, as if smoothed by long handling.