For modern women, a diamond might be their best friend, but in ancient times when for the lovelorn Naayika or heroine, getting the message of the beloved after a long wait was the greatest respite. And the bringers of these messages were the parrots- intelligent birds fluent in the language of the humans and were the best friends of the damsels.
It is this companionship of the bird and the beauty that has been celebrated in Indian sculptural tradition, where women with parrots have become a favorite decorative and artistic motif.
The woman with a parrot in this antique-looking brass statue has the appearance of the red sandstones which were used in the earliest sculptures of India- in the famous Mathura school of art. The lady elegantly stands, with the beautiful bird sitting in her hand, the brass statue filled with the feeling of companionship between both of them. The heavenly attractive lady has the most elaborate hairdo and is wearing the costume prevalent during the ancient Indian period.
However, the grace added by the delicate posture of the subject, her youthful physique presented in an immensely appealing manner is what pulls our gaze towards this brass statue. With her impressively carved hand gently placed on the stylistically delineated floral vines that sprout in the back, providing her blossoming youth a fitting background, the lady has her attention focused on the parrot, which holds with him the sweet note of her lover. Facing her, on our left stands a diminutive female figure, probably her maid, who though small in size follows the sophistication of the posture of her mistress.
The brass lady statue with the parrot stands on a sturdy platform, ready to be placed in your space and fill it with the pleasantness of her presence and the contents of the message the parrot is about to whisper.
