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One of a Pair of Manuscript Covers from the Glorification of the Great Goddess (Devimahatmya)

A work made of pigments and metallic paint on wood.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of pigments and metallic paint on wood.

Date:

18th century

Artist:

Nepal

About this artwork

The Hindu goddess Durga. slayer of the buffalo demon Mahesha (Mahishasuramardini), appears in rhythmic succession 12 times in this pair of manuscript covers from Nepal. In this myth the gods, unable to defeat a powerful shape-changing demon in the form of a water buffalo, decide to create a goddess who—with their combined weapons, energy, and strength—will be able to vanquish it. Whirling her arms and brandishing her weapons, the goddess stabs the demon with her lance in one lower hand and lifts him up by the tail with another. Her right foot stands upon her trademark vehicle, shown as a snow lion in Nepal, while her left foot crushes the demon’s back. As she does so, a human form emerges from the animal’s neck. In an expressive detail, the buffalo’s severed head droops below the picture frame. In Nepal Durga is often called “Bhagwati,” and she is worshipped annually in an autumn festival in both India and Nepal.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

One of a Pair of Manuscript Covers from the Glorification of the Great Goddess (Devimahatmya)

Place

Nepal (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1700–1800

Medium

Pigments and metallic paint on wood

Dimensions

1.7 × 49 × 11.7 cm (3/8 × 19 5/16 × 4 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Kate S. Buckingham Endowment Fund

Reference Number

2005.614b

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/185008/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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