GREAT! Very old ghurra, churning stick conductor, Nepal, 1850-1900

Ancient ghurra, openwork middle section, churn pots are visible on the side of the upper section. The ring at the bottom is also fully worked on the outside. Due to intensive use over a long period of time, a beautiful patina has developed and the motifs are partly geometrically manufactured, which gives the object extra character and soul. A rope is also still attached. A very beautiful specimen!! placed on a custom-made professional stand where you do not see the stand from the front. Gallery price 950-1200 euros.

Length: 24 cm, including stand, over 27 cm

Weight: 469 grams

Origin: Nepal

Date: 1850-1900

Provenance: Obtained from own network in situ

Below some more information about churn holders.

For centuries, the Nepalese mountain dwellers used the ghurra (churning stick conductor) as a tool to churn milk into butter. This ritual is based on the ancient Hindu myth, the Samudra Manthana: the churning of the primeval ocean by gods and demons. This myth not only tells the story of creation, but also depicts the battle between good and evil. By using the ghurra, the act of churning is transcended into a sacred event; the ritual confirmation of the Samudra Manthana. For the Nepalese, the churning process is 'darshan', a sacred time of day to be blessed by their gods. The decorations on the ghurras refer to the gods of the Hindu pantheon and are, as it were, the connecting signs to the intangible mystery of the universe. Ghurras are therefore an expression of a transcendent reality, hidden under the veil of observable reality.

Ghurras have a round shape at the bottom that represents the sun disk (chakra), symbol of Vishnu, the patron god of the country and the people of Nepal. The sun disk represents the miraculous power of the universal soul, which creates, maintains and destroys in all spheres of the universe. On the sun disk there is a mostly vertical extension in the form of a lingam, symbol of Shiva (the god of destruction and re-creation). This part is made up of symmetrical figures with symbolic elements. No detail in the representation is a personal invention, everything has a ritual meaning.

For information about the ghurras, use was made of the exhibition catalogue published in 2004: Ghurras, gods from the Himalaya - Nepalese folk art. Composition and editing Annemarie De Gendt and Paul De Smedt.