Untitled

Unknown

ca.1800 · Ink and opaque watercolor on paper · Asian Art

Vishnu has many incarnations in which he descends to earth to restore cosmic order. In his third, he appears as Varaha, a boar-headed creature who saves the earth from a demon who has dragged it beneath the ocean. In this page, Varaha rides on Garuda, the avian mount of Vishnu, and has just used his thrown discus to behead a general riding in a chariot. Although an inscription on the back refers to the demon Banasur, he had one thousand arms and is not the likely victim of Varaha's wrath. It is not clear what scene is being illustrated.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca.1800

Medium

Ink and opaque watercolor on paper

Culture

India (Punjab Hills, Guler)

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Jeffrey Paley, 1974