1960.681: Khambhavati Ragini (painting, recto), from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) Series
ManuscriptsA rectangular opaque watercolor painting on gold paper that depicts three people along the bottom on a bright orange background and a white, domed building in the back surrounded by trees and flowers. The seated male figure is on the bottom-right sitting on a cushion with pink petals around him. He wears yellow pants and has two pairs of arms and four faces, all of which are under a crown. The kneeling woman on the left faces him and wears a blue skirt, red top, and jewelry. There is a small fire in between them. There is a standing woman on the far left that wears a green skirt, yellow top, and jewelry. She holds a small fan above the kneeling woman. The building above them has small patterns decorating it and the flora line up alongside it horizontally. There is script writing above the image and the painting is framed with a red band that is decorated with blue and white flower motifs.
Identification and Creation
- Object Number
- 1960.681
- People
-
Attributed to Jai Kisan of Malpura, Indian
- Title
- Khambhavati Ragini (painting, recto), from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) Series
- Other Titles
- Former Title: Khambhavati Ragini , Lady Worships Brahma, from a Ragamala Series (Garland of Melodies)
- Classification
- Manuscripts
- Work Type
- manuscript folio
- Date
- c. 1756
- Places
- Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan, Malpura
- Culture
- Indian
- Persistent Link
- https://hvrd.art/o/215799
Physical Descriptions
- Medium
- Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
- Dimensions
- 31.75 x 21.59 cm (12 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.)
- Inscriptions and Marks
-
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inscription: Language: Hindi
Script: Devanagari
“He [Brahma] teaches the Vedas . . . and causes other to perform the fire-oblation. A bright garment covers the beauty of [her] body; [her] fair color gleams.”
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inscription: Language: Hindi
Provenance
- Recorded Ownership History
- Eric Schroeder, Cambridge, MA (by 1960), gift; to Fogg Art Museum, 1960.
Acquisition and Rights
- Credit Line
- Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Eric Schroeder
- Accession Year
- 1960
- Object Number
- 1960.681
- Division
- Asian and Mediterranean Art
- Contact
- am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
- Permissions
-
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Descriptions
- Description
-
In this painting, a maiden pays homage to the Hindu god Brahma, who is depicted officiating a homa (vedic fire ritual). The four-headed, four-armed Brahma, Hindu god of creation and one of the members of the holy Trinity, sits cross-legged on a large pink lotus. He wears a large gold crown, topped with lotuses, that spans his four heads; a pendant necklace, strands of large pearls, bracelets, and a yellow dhoti, a garment worn by male Hindus that consists of a piece of fabric tied around the waist and extending to cover most of the legs. Two of his four hands hold the horizontal folios of a pothi (Indic manuscript) with text written on it, most likely holding the Vedas (a collection of ancient Sanskrit texts). He performs the ritual with a long gold ladle, which he uses to offer ablutions to the fire homa. Opposite him sits a maiden, who pays homage to Brahma with joined hands. Behind her is a female attendant who holds a white scarf over the maiden’s head. The figures sit on a terrace, while in the background is a large white pavilion flanked by tall green trees. This painting is a pictorial metaphor for a raga, a musical phrase that is used as the basis for improvisation. The atmosphere of the painting reflects the time of the year when the Ragini associated with the painting was performed: in autumn, post-monsoon in early evenings.
This folio belongs to a Ragamala or "Garland of Ragas" series produced in Malpura. The text in the top register of the folio in this series is written alternatively in gold and silver. The use of such precious materials might suggest elite patronage. The artist Jai Kisan completed the series in 1756 CE, as mentioned in the colophon on the reverse of the last folio (HAM 1963.74). Three other folios of the same series are in the Harvard Art Museums’ collections: 1963.73, 1963.74, 1969.174. Rajput, Rajasthani, Malpura School.
Exhibition History
- 32Q: 2590 South and Southeast Asia, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 03/20/2015 - 07/21/2015
- Water Stories: river goddesses, ancestral rites, and climate crisis, Radcliffe Institute Johnson-Kulukundis Family Gallery, 09/18/2023 - 12/16/2023
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