Votive plaque in gilded copper and semi-precious stones, Nepal, 19th - 20th century Made of a wooden core, it is covered with copper plates worked in repoussé and covered with filigree. The central medallion inside the plate symbolizes the sun and contains Surya, the sun god, mounted on his chariot. His driver is Aruna, the legless brother of Garuda, the Hindu sun bird. Surya is accompanied by four of his consorts, those on the far left and right representing dawn and dusk, the two lights that fight darkness before sunrise and after sunset. In the archer's pose, they fight the darkness with their arrows. This shrine, typical of the art of the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley, is adorned with fine filigree work and inlays of turquoise and other semi-precious stones. 45 x 37 cm