Shield from India

[mahratt]

Many thanks to everyone for opinions!

[Gustav]

As Interested Party noted, the mounts (vehicles) - Vahana - are very helpful for indentification of Indian deities:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vahana

[Interested Party]

At my first glance I though, assumed, that the circles being held were Chakras. Once I took a better look, I could see only the top right figure held a chakra, the rest held bucklers, targets. It is interesting a shield with a theme of shields. Definitely a different metaphysical meaning.

I haven't had time to dive into the iconography yet but, is the center panel the heavenly architect, Vishvakarma? I thought Brahma at first because the central figure is unarmed but there is no swan. The chariot made me think of Vishvakarma. To make it more confusing is that a lotus emerging from the figure's navel?

[Gustav]

The figure in central panel is Surya, the sun deity. He sits in a carriage drawn by seven horses (seven meters of Sanskrit prosody, days in a week, seven colours) and holds two lotus blossoms. He is flanked by two goddesses of dawn (or his two wifes), shooting arrows.

[Interested Party]

Originally Posted by Gustav

The figure in central panel is Surya, the sun deity. He sits in a carriage drawn by seven horses (seven meters of Sanskrit prosody, days in a week, seven colours) and holds two lotus blossoms. He is flanked by two goddesses of dawn (or his two wifes), shooting arrows.

Thanks Gustav! Now I see it. And around the icon is a circle made of three petaled flowers alternated with leaves that insinuate sunrays, a chakra, mandala, and a wheel of death and rebirth. Or it could be just a border separating elements. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar