Devi in the Form of Bhadrakali Adored by the Gods, folio from a dispersed Tantric Devi series
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Worshipped as a supreme deity, the great goddess Devi is of central importance to the Pahari Hindu tradition. Originally, this folio was one of a series of seventy paintings that showed different aspects of her; these works would have been used by tantric practitioners. Sanskrit verses on the back describe this manifestation:
Equal to a thousand rays of the rising sun. . .
She is everything. . .
She banishes fear. . .
I adore goddess Bhadrakali. . .
Shown against a brilliant yellow background, with the cut beetle wings in her jewelry catching the light, she is venerated by the Hindu gods who surround her. The vibrant style demonstrated here is characteristic of early Pahari painting and had a profound impact on later works produced in the hills of the Himalayas.
Equal to a thousand rays of the rising sun. . .
She is everything. . .
She banishes fear. . .
I adore goddess Bhadrakali. . .
Shown against a brilliant yellow background, with the cut beetle wings in her jewelry catching the light, she is venerated by the Hindu gods who surround her. The vibrant style demonstrated here is characteristic of early Pahari painting and had a profound impact on later works produced in the hills of the Himalayas.
Artwork Details
- Title: Devi in the Form of Bhadrakali Adored by the Gods, folio from a dispersed Tantric Devi series
- Artist: Attributed to the Master of the Early Rasamanjari
- Date: ca. 1660-70
- Culture: India, Punjab Hills, kingdom of Basohli
- Medium: Opaque watercolor, gold, silver and beetlewing cases on paper
- Dimensions: H. 7 in. (17.8 cm)
W. 6 9/16 in. (16.7 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Promised Gift of Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art