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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1997.236
People
Unknown Artist
Title
Hindu Goddess Ganga with Two Female Attendants Carrying Fly-Whisks
Classification
Paintings
Work Type
painting
Date
20th century
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/213482

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
40 x 30 cm (15 3/4 x 11 13/16 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of James E. Robinson III in honor of Stuart Cary Welch and Alve John Erickson
Accession Year
1997
Object Number
1997.236
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
Seated with legs folded on a golden throne is the Hindu goddess Ganga, the divine personification of the River Ganges. She wears a chaniya choli, a type of dress which consists of a long golden skirt and a yellow crop top decorated with flowers and gold trim. She wears an elaborate golden crown, earrings, and a large pendant necklace. Ganga bears four arms: her lower left has her palm facing down; her upper left is bent upward and hold a lotus blossom; her lower right has her palm facing upward; her upper right is bent upward and holds a gold water jug. A bright green halo with a gold border surrounds her head, above which is a floating umbrella (chhatri). The throne floats on water, which is covered in lotuses. Four makara, a crocodile-like creature of Hindu mythology and Ganga’s mount, recline by each throne leg. Behind a blue decorative fence with a gold frame and flanking either side are two female attendants holding fly-whisks above their heads. The background is an orange wall decorated with pairs of rose buds. An ochre curtain with gold flowers and a green border is rolled up at the top. The painting is framed by a yellow inner border and a red outer border. Rajput Style.

Exhibition History

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