Page from an Indian zodiac manuscript: Elephant-Headed Figure on a White Bird
Artist Unknown, India, Rajasthan, Jaipur School
Description
Attributed to Jaipur School
Pages from a set of miniature paintings (left-right, top-bottom):
Vishnu on a Bird, Elephant-Headed Figure on a White Bird, Princess
Mounted on an Elephant, Figure Mounted on a Tiger (possibly Saturn),
Dhanus (possibly Sagittarius)
India, Rajasthan
20th century
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Gift of Walter M. and Nesta R. Spink,
1987/1.249, 1985/2.138, 1985/2.136, 1987/1.248, 1985/2.137
Miniature painting illustrating both religious and secular texts has
existed in various forms in India since the ninth century. The art
form reached its zenith under Mughal rule (1526–1857), when painters
combined Persian and Indian styles with European influences brought
to India by Jesuit missionaries. In this set of paintings the main Hindu
gods and goddesses are mounted on their vehicles (Sanskrit: vahanas).
The dark-blue-bodied Vishnu, for example, is riding a grey bird,
possibly his mount, Garuda, but the other leaves depart from standard
iconographies. Ganesha, for example, rides a peacock rather than the
more typical rat. These unusual paintings are in the Jaipur school style
of Rajasthan, which is characterized by bold lines and vibrant, sharp
colors. They may have been produced for the Western market, rather
than for use in the local courts.
2021 Gallery Rotation
__________
Anonymous
Page from an Indian zodiac manuscript:
Elephant-Headed Figure on a White Bird
India, Rajasthan, Jaipur school
ca. 1840
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Gift of Professor Walter M. and Nesta R. Spink, 1985/2.138
Subject Matter:
This is a part of a series on Hindu deities and objects and animals associated with them.
Physical Description:
The Hindu God Ganesha sits atop a large white bird (a stork?). He holds the following objects in three of his four hands: a sword, lotus flower, and prayer beads. The stork also has a string of beads hanging from its beak. The landscape is plain and green, and a stream of water flows below.
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