Nandi the Bull

thingiverse

Prominently positioned on the ground floor lobby, this renowned sculpture is housed within the Asian Art Museum. Dating back to approximately 1400-1500, it hails from Tamil Nadu state in India and is carved from granite. The artwork represents Nandi, a devoted mount of the Hindu deity Shiva. In southern Indian temples, large sculptures like this would typically be placed before the main sanctuary, facing the shrine to allow Shiva's representation to be adored by Nandi. Consequently, worshipers entering the temple grounds would approach the statue from behind. The Nandi sculpture is embellished with garlands, strings of bells, and an ornate blanket, all intricately carved into the stone; it would also have been adorned with real flowers and fabrics in the temple. This artifact was donated to the museum by the Atholl McBean Foundation (B68S3). Captured using a Canon S95 camera and the 123D Catch desktop application, the sculpture is recommended to be printed with 2-3 extra shells, 20% infill, and support for its overhanging chin in order to prevent warping and peeling.