Ancient bronze Garuda bird with Buddha on the back, India or South-Eastern Asia, 200 AD-1000 AD; Height: 20.3 cm; Length: 17.5 cm; Weight: 1064 g = 1 kg 64 g = 2 lb. 5.5 oz. Condition: genuine antique patina, old way of no defects. Casting: Lost wax process, which includes the following steps: wax model, clay mould, molten bronze is poured into the clay moulds, after cooling clay moulds were broken, revealing bronze statue. Provenance: private collection in Florida, USA Many religions used Garuda image: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism. Many countries used Garuda bird as a deity: India, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Mongolia, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Phillipines, Suriname REFERENCES: Garuda (Sanskrit: गरुड, romanized: Garuḍa; Pali: गरुळ, romanized: Garuḷa; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ, IAST: Garuḻa) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (vahana) of the Hindu god Vishnu. This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths.[1][5][6] Garuda is also the half-brother of the Devas, Gandharvas, Daityas, Danavas, Nāgas, Vanara and Yakshas. He is the son of the sage Kashyapa and Vinata. He is the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun. Garuda is mentioned in several other texts such as the Puranas and the Vedas. Garuda is described as the king of the birds and a kite-like figure.[7][8] He is shown either in a zoomorphic form (a giant bird with partially open wings) or an anthropomorphic form (a man with wings and some ornithic features). Garuda is generally portrayed as a protector with the power to swiftly travel anywhere, ever vigilant and an enemy of every serpent.[1][8][9] He is also known as Tarkshya and Vainateya. Garuda is a part of state insignia of India, Indonesia and Thailand. Both Indonesia and Thailand have Garuda as their coat of arms, the Indian Army uses the Garuda on their Guards Brigade Regimental Insignia. The Indian Air Force named their special operations unit after him as the Garud Commando Force.[10] It is often associated with the Greater adjutant stork (Leptoptilos dubius).[11][12][13] • Royal insignia (Garudadhvaja) of the Gupta Empire (240-579 AD).
