SALE OF AN HINDOO GOD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2170, 11 July 1889, Page 3

SALE OF AN HINDOO GOD

The auotlon rooms of Messrs Phillips, Bon, and Neale In Dew Bond- street, London, were crowded at the tile recently of a Urge collection of Burmese, Indian, •Oil Japanese curios, the property of a gentleman who formerly occupied an official poiltion to ludla. The great attraction of the motion wa« " the Hindu Tamgam god," consisting of a obrysoberyl eat'a eye fixed in a topi z, and moanted on A pyramidal base studded with diamonds and preoious itonei. This oariona rello Stood 2J inohes in height. It was preserved 10 an ancUn- temple at Delhi for more than a thousand years, and sots of j devotion were paid before it by women women anxious to nave children. The base !■ of lolld gold, »nd around it are aet nine perns or opting. Thcsa are all radely carved, and wonld by more scientific Dotting be greatly improved In valne. Round the apex of this gold pyramid Is • plinth eet with diamond*. On the apex Is a topai 1 1016 Inohea In length and 9 16 of an inch in depth, shaped like a horseshoe. In the oentre of the horsefthoe tbe great obrysoberyl oat's eye stands upright. Tbli ts 15 16 of an inch in height, dark brown Id oulor, and shaped Uke a pear. An extremely mobile opele went light oroises the length of tho itone In an oblique dlreotlon. When the last King of Delhi was oipinred and exiled to the Andaman Isles bis Qaeen uoreted tbii gem, and It was never seen again nntil, being distressed during the Mutiny, •be sold It, and tbe present owner then became tbe purobaier. The Brat bid was £600. and tbte advanced in a f w seconds to £1000. Then tb« bids wera rapid ontll they reached £1800, and » pause followed, but again a start was made, and the gen: was fiaally knooked down at £2450 to a jeweller of New Bond street •mid applause.