Posted on: 21 January 2012

Model of a ceremonial ship or royal pleasure boat: Stone, Eastern India, 11th or 12th century.

This stone model of a ship is thought to be unique in Indian art. Dating from the Pala period in eastern India it depicts a river-going vessel with eight oarsmen (or possibly six oarsmen and one or two helmsmen steering with a paddle) and no sail. The shape with the very high stern relates to traditional river craft in Eastern India. The ship is clinker built and shows elaborate decoration on its uppermost planks. There are musicians playing drums and horns high in the stern and in the centre of the ship is a pavilion. This might suggest that it is a pleasure vessel for the enjoyment of a royal owner. The figures depicted sitting in the pavilion are, on the port side, a warrior with a bow, in the centre facing the bows of the ship a princely figure, and on the starboard side a bearded priestly figure holding a rosary. Because of the presence of the priest and warrior it has been suggested that the boat depicted may have had some ritual function, perhaps in a religious ceremony asking the gods for safe passage for ships at sea. There was a rich history of mercantile shipping and naval activity in the Bay of Bengal at the period this model was made.

A kneeling elephant is depicted in the bow flanked by two attendants and on its back is a pointed cylindrical object. The top of this resembles an umbrella and it has been suggested that this is what the object represents, but that due to the small scale of the carving the sculptor would have been unable to carve away the sides of the umbrella to leave only a thin shaft, which would have been too fragile. Like the elephant, the umbrella was a symbol of royalty in India.

Source: V&A, London


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Hmm so the bibleisnt the only one with a ark like idea. some say it was a space shipe with animal dna.

It was almost a revelation for me. Thanks RBSI!

exceptional development in maritime was possible because of the extraordinary knowledge in astronomy......the celetial stars were used to CHART THE OCEANS.......to make maps,

ASRONOMY N MARITIME development went hand in hand.....in TANDEM.....!!!

fantastic info...... thanks

wonderful

Pictorial and sculptural evidences are often unreliable. an artist unless he has been a seaman himself rarely understands the purpose of the gear he sees and so leaves out many things of importance and exaggerates others to suit his composition. therefore hulls are shortened and curves are accentuated.

Gitanjali, in primitive navigation sailors depended upon Gods, stars and the sun, the wind, currents, tides depth, color of the sea, shore sighting birds and with few exception they sailed hugging the coastline.

may be you can read some works jean deloche of french institute of pondicherry...

.....Deloche is an excellent read...and gitanjali you are right that astronomy has gone hand in hand with maritime development...we have enough evidences to assume that the Harappans used stars low in sky and about to rise and set were used as accurate direction indicator along the horizon. Technically, the azimuth of the guiding star is the latitude of a given direction which offcource vary with the latitude and area location.Ancient Chinese, greeks and Phonecians were good star clerks. In "chandimangalkavya of medieval bengal we come across a special class of navigator, 'tarabid', or star gazer.

The stars....that's the key of navigation ....both at sea and in deserts....

In sea and desert....its all about night.....in gujarat we have both.....