Hanuman Pectoral Plaque Amulet

A special type of Hanuman amulet, the Hanuman pectoral plaque or bajrang bali, is worn around the neck by ascetic devotees of Hanuman, particularly in the region of Karnataka, southern India.

We are lucky to have been able to find two of these rare amulets, both sourced in southern India.

Cast using the lost wax method from bronze, this extremely large amulet features Hanuman as the main feature. The iconography of these plaques includes many symbols. In the case of our amulet, the outer circular form is a mandala that frames the central figure in mystical radiance. At the top of the circle is the seven headed Nagaraja, king of the Naga serpents, hovering over Hanuman to protect him. In this particular casting, Vishnu himself appears above Hanuman (Vishnu's seventh incarnation is Rama, for whom Hanuman did so many of his brave deeds). Hanuman appears in a typical posture, right facing in profile, body and arms frontal, and feet in right facing profile, in the pose that suggests that he is not running, but flying through the air. He wears platform shoes reminiscent of Jain clogs and a large garland of flowers. His open right hand symbolises Dronachala Mountain in the Himalayas where he flew to retrieve the magical flesh healing herb sanjivani buti, in order to heal Rama's brother Laksmana, who had died in the terrible battle with Ravana's demon army. The figure at his feat represents the giant Kalanemi, who Ravana had sent to kill Hanuman. 

Measurements: height 19 cm, width 16.5 cm

Reference:

Traditional Jewellery Of India. O Untracht 1997 Thames and Hudson, Pages 108-109

This pectoral pendant is a lovely example of a very specific type of Hindu amulet. It dates to the early part of the 20th century or earlier. These amulets are very rarely offered for sale and are the first we have ever seen in over 50 years of trading.