The dolphin is India’s national aquatic animal. While it is not heavily featured in Indian art, at least in comparison to creatures of classical beauty such as the swan and the lion, it is the vahana of Devi Ganga. The dolphin as Devi-vahana is to be found in abundance in the Kalighat school of art, where it has the slim, curvaceous form replicated in the door handles that you see on this page. Indeed, stylised door handles like these would make for an unusual yet unmistakable addition to the ethos of your home.

These finely carved dolphins bring out the streamlined beauty of the aquatic creature. Its long, slender body tapers down into a powerful dual-pronged tail that beats through the decisive currents of the Ganges. Parallel to that tail and the curvature of the head are the extensions to be bored into your doors. Zoom in on the engravings down the length of its body in order to appreciate the perfect symmetry with which these dolphins have been carved.