A Patinated Bronze Cobra

A patinated bronze model of an Indian cobra (Naja naja).

cm 28 × 40 × 71 (h)

The hood expanded and the tail curled at the base to form a self-supporting composition. The scales on the hood and body are finely chased through burin work, while the underside and tail remain smooth. The head is subtly modelled with the small forked tongue curled at the end of an articulated appendage, and a row of nine small perforations along the crown mark where original cold-painted or inset details have worn away. A small metal loop behind the hood suggests the piece was originally designed to hang or to be fitted to a base.