Your Collection

Add this item to your collection
Harvard Art Museums
Incorrect Username, Email, or Password
This object does not yet have a description.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1984.458
People
Unknown Artist
Title
Krishna's Manifest Vision through Sound (Kavitt), from a Rasikapriya series
Classification
Manuscripts
Work Type
manuscript folio
Date
c. 1660-1680
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan, Bundi
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/216197

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; Rajput Style
Dimensions
38.5 x 25 cm (15 3/16 x 9 13/16 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Philip Hofer
Accession Year
1984
Object Number
1984.458
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
Radha sits back on a large cushion outside her palace. She faces a female companion who stands before her, gesturing. Krishna has just left their company, and is walking into the dense and lush landscape. Various trees line the edge of a river or lake. Swirling white lines represent the water’s currents, while lotus blossoms decorate the surface. The background features different types of trees, with six tall palm trees and large blooms in the distance. At the top of the painting is a solid yellow block that contains black text written in the Braj language. It states:

A Sakhi speaks to Radha:
Radha, your name is such that it detects falsehood, expresses love and binds people to you. Everyone knows that it gladdens Kamdev (God of Love), arouses desire, and attracts Krishna. It is an ornament for Mohini and a deterrent for gopis. On hearing it, Krishna has become homeless. Is this just your name or a mantra? (4.18)


Mohini is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as an enchantress, who maddens lovers, sometimes leading them to their doom.


The chhatris (canopies), which are a common feature of Indian architecture, of the palace break into the text space, and even disrupt the lines of text. The painting is surrounded by thick, red borders. Rajput Style.

Publication History

  • Harsha V. Dehejia, Rasikapriya: Ritikavya of Keshavdas in Ateliers of Love, D. K. Printworld (P) Ltd. (New Delhi, India, 2013), p, 181, fig. 4.18: Bundi

Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 2590 South and Southeast Asia, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 04/26/2017 - 11/08/2017

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