Cast brass vaastu tortoise with a pierced shell of seated figures under a stepped temple finial - Peetal Parampara

Brass Vaastu Tortoise with Temple Dome, 300 g

Rs. 2,599.00

Brass Vaastu Tortoise with Temple Dome, 300 g

Name: Brass Vaastu Tortoise with Temple Dome, 300 g
Brand: PEETAL PARAMPARA
SKU: PP-BR-VAS-TOR-177
Price: 2599.0 INR
Availability: InStock

A cast brass tortoise whose shell is pierced into niches under a temple spire.

Rs. 2,599.00

Price includes GST.

Weight: 300g

Material: Brass, unlacquered
Finish: Polished
Shell: Pierced arches with a seated figure in each, stepped temple top at the crown
Base: Four legs, so the belly sits clear of the surface
Use: Kept indoors as a vaastu piece, often on a plate or in a shallow bowl of water
In the box: 1 brass tortoise

Check delivery to your PIN code

Estimated, not a guarantee. Dispatched from Guwahati, Monday to Saturday.

Each piece is shaped and finished by hand, so small differences in weight, size, finish and surface marking are normal and no two are identical. Colour on screen can differ from the metal in daylight. Handmade in India.

The shell is open work, arch after arch cut through the metal with a seated figure in each, so light passes right through the dome. A stepped top sits at the top like the roof of a small temple, and a band of pierced scroll runs round the rim below the figures. The head is cast with irregular plates and the legs end in cut toes. At 300 g it sits in the hand like a paperweight.

What is it?

In vaastu practice a tortoise, or kachua, is kept indoors as a household emblem, often set on a plate or in a shallow bowl of water near the entrance. We describe the practice; we make no claim about outcomes.

Also known as a kachua, vastu kachua, tortoise statue or pital kachua.

What is in the box?

1 brass tortoise

How do I look after it?

Wash by hand with a mild dishwashing liquid and a soft sponge. Dry fully with a cloth before putting it away — water left standing is what causes spotting.
Brass darkens. It reacts with air and with the oils on your hands, and a piece in daily use will dull within weeks. That is the metal telling you it is not plated.
To bring the shine back: a paste of lemon juice and salt, or tamarind pulp, or a proprietary brass cleaner. Rub, rinse, dry. Two minutes.
Do not use steel wool, scouring pads or bleach.
Not dishwasher safe. Not microwave safe.
If you would rather it stayed dark, leave it alone — a settled patina protects the surface.

Handmade in India

Every piece finished by hand

Solid metal

No plating, nothing to chip

Weighed and listed

In grams, on almost every page

Tin lining stated

Where a vessel is lined, we say so

Questions about this piece

Is the brass solid or plated?

Solid, cast and then cleaned up by hand. Plating cannot follow piercing of this kind without pooling in the cuts, and 300 g on a kitchen scale settles it in any case.

Will it look exactly like the photograph?

Not exactly. Each arch is opened out by hand after casting, so the width of the openings and the crispness of the figures inside them differ from one to the next.

Where should it be placed?

In vaastu convention a tortoise is kept near the entrance or in the north of a room, often on a plate or in a shallow bowl of water. Households differ on this and we would not tell you your practice.

Is it solid or hollow?

The head, legs and body are solid metal; the shell is pierced right through, so you can see daylight in the arches. Nothing is filled behind them and nothing is packed inside.

Will dust settle in the openings?

It will, in the arches and under the spire. A dry soft brush of the kind used on a keyboard clears it, and because the piercing goes right through there is no pocket a brush cannot reach.