Indian Pilgrimage Figure of a Sadhu

A pilgrim’s keepsake: small, devout, and cast to be carried.

This brass pilgrimage figure of a sadhu comes from Maharashtra, India, and is dated in the record to the 19th century or earlier. Small metal figures of holy men and deities were commonly made for devotion and as souvenirs of pilgrimage. The seated figure has a round, serene face, a topknot, and a cloth draped across the chest. One hand holds a small vessel at the side. The brass has darkened to bronze, with green flecks collecting in the folds.

About 2 inches tall. Fits in a palm, and in a pocket, and in a long story.