Lakshmi
Lakshmi, the bestower of abundance and prosperity, is an expression of India’s ancient fertility goddess Sri, from whom life itself emerges. In West Bengal, Lakshmi is closely associated with agricultural fertility, evoked here by her cornucopia-like sheaf of ripened rice and her gold vessel, a container for the vermilion powder (sindoor) used in wedding ceremonies. Devotees often present rice as an offering to the goddess. She is also accompanied by an owl, embodying divine wisdom, and a display of seashells at her feet that underscore her associations with water and wealth. The seashell motif is borrowed from European natural history engravings, but it is noteworthy that cowrie shells also serve as a traditional form of currency in the Bengal region.
Artwork Details
- Title: Lakshmi
- Date: 1883
- Culture: India, Kolkata, West Bengal
- Medium: Lithograph with black ink, watercolor, and glaze on paper
- Dimensions: Sheet: 16 1/4 × 12 1/2 in. (41.3 × 31.8 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2021
- Object Number: 2021.202
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Indian (North)
late 19th century
Designed and published by Sasadhar Banarjee
ca. 1875–85
British, Staffordshire
ca. 1820–30
Painting attributed to Bhawani Das
ca. 1777–82
India, Kolkata, West Bengal,
ca. 1878–83
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