Shiva as Tripsurasamhara; woman holding a flywhisk; rearing yali
ca. 1800
Medium
Ink and wash on J. Whatman paper watermarked 1798
Dimensions
Sheet (folded): 16 1/8 × 10 1/16 in. (41 × 25.5 cm) Sheet: 16 1/8 × 20 1/8 in. (41 × 51.1 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture
India, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2021
Accession Number
2021.331
Art Historical Context
This captivating ink and wash drawing from 1800, originating in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, portrays Shiva in his dynamic form as Tripsurasam—the destroyer of the three cities (Tripura). The fierce god is flanked by a graceful woman bearing a flywhisk (chauri), a symbol of royal service often seen in divine iconography, and a rearingali, a mythical South Indian creature blending lion, elephant, and horse features, evoking power and ferocity. Created on J. Whatman paper watermarked 1798, the folded sheet measures about 16 by 20 inches when unfolded, highlighting an intriguing fusion of European import...
About the Artist
Unidentified ( ) · –