What the hell is this thing? (11 Sivan 5769)
I have a fondness for picking up things that I think are odd instead of the more well-known souvenirs, though I certainly did get enough well-known souvenirs in India. I also got a small statue that I cannot identify. My money's on some kind of god and not Buddha as the gift shop owner claimed. Anyone want to weigh in?
Pictures behind the cut
It's a man with a beard and a very hairy chest. One hand is tugging on his earlobe or attaching a ring. The other arm is fending off a wingless dragon with a fish tail wound around his back. He's wearing a robe that only covers his left shoulder, but leaving the right arm exposed is pretty standard in Buddo-Hindu imagery.
It's made out of some kind of stone, and the darker tones seem to be paint or a wash, because there are scratches on the bottom to indicate a lighter stone. This was purchased in Rajastan, where a lot of marble is found, but I don't know if it's marble. There are other stones in Rajastan.
With flash:
Pictures behind the cut
It's a man with a beard and a very hairy chest. One hand is tugging on his earlobe or attaching a ring. The other arm is fending off a wingless dragon with a fish tail wound around his back. He's wearing a robe that only covers his left shoulder, but leaving the right arm exposed is pretty standard in Buddo-Hindu imagery.
It's made out of some kind of stone, and the darker tones seem to be paint or a wash, because there are scratches on the bottom to indicate a lighter stone. This was purchased in Rajastan, where a lot of marble is found, but I don't know if it's marble. There are other stones in Rajastan.
With flash: