SALE OF A HINDU GOD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2322, 7 January 1890, Page 2

SALE OF A HINDU GOD

A well-known firm of London auctioneers recently sold a large collection of Burmese, Indian and Japanese curiosities, tlntb.Jonged to a gentlemaa who had occupied an official position in India. The great attractionf of the sile-wa^-the-HiitinJHingani God,* consisting of a chrysoberyl cat's eye taeiTTira"" topaz, and mounted on a pyramidal base studded with diamonds and precious stones... This curious relic r stood two and. one-quarter finches in height It was preserved for .'-more than a thousand years in an ancient temple at Delhi, where acts of devotion were performed before by women who were anxious to have children. The base is of., solid,'gold and around it are set nine gems'cr^ charms, a diamond, ruby, sapphire,, chrysoberyl caf'seye, coral, pearl, hyacinthine garnet, sapphire, and emerald. . These gems are rudely carved, and,would, no doubt, by more scientific cutting be greatly increased in value* ftound the appex of this gold- pyramid is fc plinth set with diamonds. On the apex is a topaz one and five-eighths inch in length and nine-sixteenth's of an inch in height, dark brown in color and shaped like a pear. An, extremely mobile opalesoent light crosses the length of the stone in an oblique direction. When Bad Shah Bahador Shah, the.laat king; of Delhi, was captured and exiled to the Andaman Isles, his queen secrete^! thisgem.and it was never seen again, untill, beingdistressed during the mutiny, she sold it, to,the present owner. The gem was filially kmcfcod down at two.thousand four hundred and fifty pounds.