ANCIENT ASIAN INDIA LARGE CARVED WOOD TEMPLE PANEL PLAQUE DANCING SHIVA

Description

THIS AUCTION IS FOR AN ANCIENT HAND CARVED INDIA TEMPLE PANEL.THE MAIN THEME IS "NATARAJA SHIVA" THE DANCING SHIVA,LORD OF THE DANCE.SHIVA IS DANCING ON TOP OF "APASMARA PURUSHA" ,THE ILLUSION THAT LEADS MANKIND ASTRAY.AND BY DANCING ON HIM THE FOLLOWERS OF SHIVA CAN ACHIEVE SALVATION.USUALLY THIS EXTENSIVE TYPE OF CARVING WOULD BE FULL OF CRACKS,BUT NOT THIS ONE.HARDLY ANY CRACKING.WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE IT IS CARVED FROM "SHEESHAM" WOOD.WHICH WAS USED FOR CENTURIES TO CARVE THESE TYPES OF PANELS.MANY OTHER CHARACTERS ARE CARVED INTO THIS PANEL.SOME ARE UNKNOWN TO ME.BUT SHIVA DANCING HERE IS CERTAINLY THE MAIN THEME OF THIS PANEL.I BELIEVE THIS PANEL IS SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS OLD.AND AT ONE TIME WAS COLORED.AND NOW OVER THE CENTURIES THE COLORS HAVE FADED AWAY.YOU CAN SEE REMNANTS OF THE OLD PAINT STILL THERE AS SEEN IN MY PICTURES.THE HEIGHT OF THIS PANEL IS ABOUT 37 1/2 INCHES,AND THE WIDTH IS ABOUT 15 INCHES.AND ABOUT 3 INCHES DEEP. THE ONLY PANEL ONLINE  I HAVE SEEN LIKE THIS ONE IS A PHOTO OF THE"TAMIL NADU" TEMPLE IN INDIA.THIS PANEL IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE CHERISHED.VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND REAL HAND CARVED ANCIENT TEMPLE PANELS.FOR THAT REASON I AM "NOT SHIPPING" THIS PANEL. CONDITION IS VERY GOOD FOR IT'S AGE.I SEE A FEW PLACES WHERE IS SEEMS THERE ARE SOME RUBS AND A FEW LITTLE PIECES MISSING. ETC.PICKUP FROM MY LOCATION IS THE ONLY OPTION.IT WOULD BE A TRAGEDY TO SEE ANYTHING HAPPEN TO THIS PANEL IN THE SHIPPING PROCESS.HOPE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND MY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS RARE AND PRECIOUS ITEM.
**************************NO SHIPPING AVAILABLE****************************************
**********************************PICKUP ONLY*********************************************