Back piece from a shrine

This excellent example of copper repousse best exemplifies the proficiency of Newari craftsmen and the persistence of Indian motifs. It was once placed behind a standing figure of a deity, now lost. The sun bird Garuda surmounting the shrine and the makara (crocodile-like mythical beasts) on the crossbar are of Indian origin, as are the lions with riders and bird figures. Here, however, they have been transformed into Nepalese motifs and surmounted with typical Nepalese convoluting tendrils.