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A Rare Temple Model, Pith Wood, Trichinopoly, Tamil Nadu, Southern India, ca. 1899-1920.

REGISTERED ANTIQUITY – NON-EXPORTABLE ITEM.

 

 

Object Detail

 

This is a miniature model of Tiruchirappalli Rock Fort in Tamil Nadu. It is made of pith (Indian cork or sola), is an ivory-like delicacy, lightweight nature and capacity for intricate carving. The model has a label at the base that says, ‘was produced by the workshop of T. S. Nagarathinam Pillay & Bros’. This is an exquisite example of the dual presence of religious sanctuaries and military defenses created a unique architectural and symbolic ensemble—an expression of both spiritual devotion and political authority.

 

The Tiruchirappalli Rock Fort in Tamil Nadu is among the most iconic fort–temple complexes in South India. The Pallava ruler Mahendravarman I (r. 600–630 CE) first commissioned a cave temple on this site. Over time, successive dynasties fortified and embellished the hill. The Nayakas of Madurai, particularly Viswanatha Nayak (r. 1559–1564 CE) and his successors such as Chokkanatha Nayak, recognised the strategic advantage of the naturally elevated rock. At the heart of the complex are two temples: the Ucchi Pillayar Temple, perched atop the summit and dedicated to Ganesha, and the Thayumanaswami Temple, positioned midway up the hill and consecrated to Shiva. The Rock Fort thus embodies layered architectural idioms: Pallava rock-cut beginnings, Chola and Pandya sanctification of shrines, and expansive Nayaka-Vijayanagara additions in the form of mandapas and stuccoed towers.

 

 

Provenance

 

From a Private Collection in Mumbai, India.

 

Condition

 

Good Condition with minor wear.

 

Dimension

 

H: 33cm (13in) | W: 49cm (19in) | D: 37cm (15in)

 

Literature Comparison

 

1.“Tiruchirappalli Rock-Fort: A 19th-Century View (1870 Photo),” Past-India, posted February 2, 2025, accessed August 21, 2025, https://www.past-india.com/photos-items/tiruchirappalli-rock-fort-a-19th-century-view-1870-photo/

 

2.Leandro Alegsa, “Tiruchirappalli Rock Fort,” AlegsaOnline.com, February 21, 2022, accessed August 21, 2025, https://da.alegsaonline.com/art/100078.

 

3.R. Srinivasan, Cave Temples of the Pallavas(New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India, 1964).

 

4.Sanjay Subrahmanyam, The Political Economy of Commerce: Southern India 1500–1650 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990).

 

5.“Tiruchirappalli Rock-Fort: A 19th-Century View (1870 Photo),” Past-India, posted February 2, 2025, accessed August 21, 2025, https://www.past-india.com/photos-items/tiruchirappalli-rock-fort-a-19th-century-view-1870-photo/

 

6.“Explore the Museum,” Salar Jung Museum, accessed August 21, 2025, https://www.salarjungmuseum.in/explore-museum.html

 

 

 

 

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