Music party on a riverside terrace
North India, c. 1670
A music party takes place on the terrace of one of the noblemen’s havelis or garden mansions that once lined the Jumna river at Agra, upstream from the Taj Mahal. The Muslim noble who hosts this soirée presides against a flowered gold cu...
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Ascetics making music, illustrating the musical mode Kedar Raga
Arki, Himachal Pradesh
Late 17th century
The musical mode Kedar is visualised as two yogis or ascetics making music within a small pavilion. Seated on a leopard skin, a traditional seat of yogis who have mastered the temptations of ...
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Essay:
Indian Textiles: Trade and Production
By Marika Sardar
Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
Trade:
In the international commerce of the pre-industrial era, spices and textiles were the principal commodities. India in particular was known for the quality of its textiles, and for cen...
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Man's robe (jama), 17th century
India, Deccan, Burhanpur or Hyderabad
Cotton; painted, with applied gold leaf
The early Mughal rulers Akbar and Jahangir were interested in fashion stuffs, carpets, and ornamental textiles. Both emperors had a penchant for inventing new names for garments and ...
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Essay:
Hinduism and Hindu Art
By Vidya Dehejia
Department of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University
According to the Hindu view, there are four goals of life on earth, and each human being should aspire to all four. Everyone should aim for dharma, or righteous living; artha, or wealth ...
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Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, Shiva, Parvati, Karttikeya, Ganesha and the bull Nandi sit on a plain green ground. A fire of logs is burning beside them and a mango tree looms above them. Parvat...
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Top of broken pillar in foreground with the famous Sarnath lion capital standing on the ground beyond - 1905
Photograph of the Lion Capital at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, from the Kitchener of Khartoum Collection: 'Views of Benares. Presented by the Maharaja of Benares' by Madho Prasad, c.1905 . S...
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Kṛṣṇa, seated in lalitasana, leans on a bolster placed on a large throne. His consorts, Rukmini and Satyabhama, sit on either side, each holding a lotus. On each side of the throne stands a chamaradharini (female fly-whisk bearer). Kṛṣṇa’s right foot rests in the hands of a female figure who knee...
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Story-telling painting, in gouache of the 'Paithan' type, illustrating a narrative from the Mahabharata. Rejoicings; the trials of Harishchandra and his family end happily.
Vishnu observes the king embracing Krishna, and the queen, Rukmini. Between the pairs are, the somewhat forgotten Vasishth...
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This formal composition shows the facade of a small palace pavilion, with nine painted scenes of the exploits of the young Krishna. From lower right: Vishnu reclines on the snake Shesha; Brahma bows before Krishna; Krishna suckles to death the d...
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An illustration from the Bhagavata Purana depicting the battle between Kṛṣṇa and Rukmi. After Kṛṣṇa elopes with Rukmini, her brother Rukmi follows to stop the wedding, and a battle ensues.
Gouache painting on paper
Attributed to: Nikka
Pahari School
Chamba Style
1775-1780 (circa)
Chamba
New Book:
Head and Heart : Valour and Self Sacrifice in the Art of India
By Mary Storm
Published by Routledge India - July 2013
An extensive study of self sacrificial images in Indian art, this book examines concepts such as head offering, human sacrifice, blood, suicide, valour, self immolati...
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Figure of Kālī striding over recumbent Śiva. Her necklace is formed of several skulls, while in her hand she carries a further gory trophy. Her crown is of a specifically Bengali type. Made of painted and gilded clay.