Vintage Carved Wooden Horse Head, Red Patina

A carved wooden horse head, mounted on a metal stand. In Rajasthan, heads like this finished the ends of heavy beams, crowned doorposts and projected from brackets in havelis and merchant houses, where the horse stood for strength, status and protection. The way the carving ends at its base suggests this one began as part of a building.

Traces of the original red paint remain across the surface, settling into the carved recesses against the warm, exposed wood beneath. The paint has worn unevenly over time, revealing layers of colour, softened edges and the natural grain of the wood.

Small cracks, abrasions and areas of exposed timber are traces of time, use and hand, and they give the piece its own character.

Each piece is one of a kind. Size, colour and markings vary from piece to piece. Photographs are close, but the piece may look slightly different in person and from different angles. Cracks, joints, chipped paint and worn surfaces are part of the original piece and add to the beauty of it.