Harvard Art Museums > 1972.358: Bhairavi Ragini, illustration from a Ragamala (Garland 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 (Garland of Melodies) Series , 1972.358,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/216271. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1972.358 Title Bhairavi Ragini, illustration from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) Series Classification Paintings Work Type painting Date c. 1700 Places Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan, Bikaner Culture Indian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/216271 Physical Descriptions Medium Opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Dimensions 15.24 x 11.75 cm (6 x 4 5/8 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of John Kenneth Galbraith Accession Year 1972 Object Number 1972.358 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 Bhairavi Ragini is commonly represented by a young heroine (nayika) worshipping at a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Here, in this painting, the female figure kneels in front of a lingam, the aniconic form of Shiva, while chanting hymns in honor of the god and playing symbols. A female musician stands outside the shrine playing the mridagam, a type of drum. A white bull in the left corner represents Nandi, Shiva’s mount. This painting is a pictorial metaphor for a raga, a musical phrase that is used as the basis for improvisation. Rajput Style, Bikaner School Publication History Stuart Cary Welch and Milo Cleveland Beach, Gods, Thrones, and Peacocks Northern Indian Painting from Two Traditions, exh. cat., Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (New York, NY, 1965), page 69/figure 17 Kim Masteller, "Pious Love: Iconography of the Nayika as a Devotee", ed. Harsha V. Dehejia, Roli Books (India, 2004), p 179 - 180 Exhibition History Viewing Architecture: Paintings and Photographs of Indian Architecture, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 07/14/1984 - 09/17/1984 Ambassador's Choice: The Galbraith Collection of Indian Painting, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 02/15/1986 - 04/06/1986 Gods, Thrones, and Peacocks - Revisited: Northern Indian Miniatures from two Traditions, Fifteenth to Nineteenth Centuries, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 03/31/1990 - 06/10/1990 From India's Hills and Plains: Rajput Painting from the Punjab and Rajasthan, 17th through 19th Centuries, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 09/04/1993 - 10/31/1993 Rasika, the Discerning Connoisseur: Indian Paintings from the John Kenneth Galbraith Collection, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 01/31/1998 - 04/05/1998 Women in South Asian Art, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 08/26/2017 - 01/07/2018 Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be 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
