The effigy of a snake has been created using the traditional Dokra (lost-wax) technique, emerging strikingly as a tribal metalwork created by the Khonds tribe. It is a marvelous brass object and at the same time has serious cultural and ritual significance. Such effigies are given to a bride during wedding ceremonies as gifts for protection, fertility, and continuity in life. In this effigy, the snake body's coils form a circular base, with the head raised in a poised and alert position. This posture recalls the aspect of the serpent as a guardian figure that is often found in Indian mythology and tribal beliefs. Its body is uniformly decorated with leafy designs, evoking ideas of growth, nature, and lifecycle - common motifs observed within the pages of Dokra art. Around the neck of the snake hang four circular rings which may suggest sanctity or symbolic ornamentation as a power.
The sculpture is elevated by four small, pointed stands giving it a unique display and practical base for keeping it in homes or during ceremonies. The Khonds are an ethnic group residing primarily in Odisha and have extensive traditions in metal making and ritual art. There persistent associations with nature worship and animistic beliefs often reflect in their ceremonial artifacts. Dokra art is today practiced by several tribal groups within India, including the Khonds, and is famous for its rustic appeal and painstaking detailing achieved through an ancient technique of casting in wax loss.