Terracotta horses at a temple in Coimbatore

Pen-and-ink and wash drawing by Philip Meadows Taylor of terracotta horses at a temple in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, dated 1834. The image is inscribed on the front in ink: 'Clay Horses at a Hindoo Temple. No. 52.' Taylor made this sketch while on transfer from Hingoli to Ellichpur and mentions the objects in 'The Story of my life', "We...went by Coonoor and Coimbatoor, where there was a most extraordinary collection of large figures of horses in terracotta. I have never heard of these in any other part of India, and could obtain no tradition of their construction or their origin. They were reverenced by the people as offerings to a divinity they locally worship, but possess no particular value."

Artist: Taylor, Philip Meadows (1808-1876)

Medium: Pen and ink on paper

Date: 1834