Harvard Art Museums > 1991.633: Bhairavi Ragini, Illustration from a Ragamala (Garden of Melodies) Series Paintings Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Bhairavi Ragini, Illustration from a Ragamala (Garden of Melodies) Series , 1991.633,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/215999. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1991.633 Title Bhairavi Ragini, Illustration from a Ragamala (Garden of Melodies) Series Classification Paintings Work Type painting Date c. 1700 Places Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan, Amber Culture Indian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/215999 Location Location Level 2, Room 2590, South Asian Art, South Asia in the Medieval and Early Modern Eras View this object's location on our interactive map Physical Descriptions Medium Opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Dimensions 31.9 x 24.9 cm (12 9/16 x 9 13/16 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. Gordon Douglas III, Class of 1957 Accession Year 1991 Object Number 1991.633 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description The picture plane is divided into four sections. The top consists of a band of gold flowering plants against a yellow ground. The next features a lush landscape with different types of trees and birds. The center plane depicts a female devotee worshipping at a multi-domed shrine dedicated to Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. Here, he is represented in the form of a white lingam, which rests inside a white yoni base. She sits on deer skin, a reference to Shiva, and holds cymbals in her hand to keep time while she is chanting hymns. On the other side of the shrine are two other female devotees who carry offerings. The final plane has a pond filled with lotuses, which is flanked by two Shaivite ascetics. The one on the left is a bare-chested figure with a bull, which probably references Nandi, Shiva’s bull and vehicle (vahana). On the right is an ascetic (sadhu) siting in full lotus pose (padmasana) on tiger skin, a reference to Shiva. His right arm rests on a short crutch (fakir’s crutch), while he prays with his rosary. Rajput Style. Publication History Kim Masteller, "Pious Love: Iconography of the Nayika as a Devotee", ed. Harsha V. Dehejia, Roli Books (India, 2004), p 176 - 179 Exhibition History 32Q: 2590 South and Southeast Asia, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 10/28/2024 - 04/01/2025 Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
