Antique Copper Bronze Chhapa Temple Stamps - Set of 4

Description

Made from a copper rich bronze alloy, these temple body stamps were made via the ;lost wax method of casting … more Made from a copper rich bronze alloy, these temple body stamps were made via the ;lost wax method of casting and are called Chhapa stamps, They originate in Orissa and Bengali temples, India - ca. 1900.

We are offering them as a set of four pieces.

Such stamps bear symbols or scripts related to particular Hindu deities, usually Vishnu or Shiva. Our stamps are most likely associated with Vishnu – his emblems include the conch, the lotus and the disc.

The top supportive structure often terminates n a pierced finial, allowing related stamps to be held together by the priests on a cord or ring. Three of our stamps follow this configuration, but note that our oldest stamp is unusual in that it has a simple toggle hold.

It is customary for Hindu temples in the east of India to mark the body of devotees with these stamps after the undertaking of a purifying bath, providing not only visual proof of devotion but also a transfer of beneficence to the wearer. The stamps are dipped into a white or red sandalwood paste, then applied to proscribed parts of the body such as the forehead, cheeks, shoulders, forearms and stomach.

Similar stamps are illustrated in Traditional Jewelry of India, Utracht, O., Thames & Hudson, 1997 (p. 26) and may also be ;seen on display in the collection of the British Museum.

Conch shell - length 5 cm (2")
Raised disk - 3 cm diameter (1.25")
Flat disk with toggle - 3.2 cm diameter (1.3")
Square - 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm (1") less