- Title
- Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of the Lord) Album
- Date Made
- late19th century
- Medium
- Ink and pencil on paper
- Dimensions
- Image: 5 1/4 x 9 1/8 in. (13.33 x 23.17 cm); Sheet: 6 3/4 x 10 7/8 in. (17.14 x 27.62 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.91.349.4.1-.57
- Collecting Area
- South and Southeast Asian Art
- Curatorial Notes
The Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of the Lord) is traditionally ascribed to the legendary poet-sage Vyasa in the 8th-10th century CE. It stresses the path of devotion (bhakti) to Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, the Hindu God of Preservation. Vishnu manifests as heroic animals or semi-mortal saviors, called avatars, through which he intervenes in times of unrighteousness.
This incomplete manuscript contains ninety-four illustrations from Books 1, 2, and 3 of the Bhagavata Purana in a later paper-bound album. The drawings were first made in pencil and then reinforced in black ink. Approximately half of the folios have identifying captions. Here, on the album frontispiece, the Sanskrit inscription reads, Bhagavata pratham skanda Shri Ganapati (“Bhagavata first book Shri Ganapati [Ganesh]”). (Translation by Stephen Markel.) A crowned and nimbate elephant-headed Ganesh sits enthroned on a hexagonal dais under an honorific parasol on a terrace. In his four arms he holds a bowl of sweetmeats (UR), ascetic’s water flask (LR), elephant goad (UL), and what may be his broken tusk (LL). He is accompanied by his rat vehicle and two female attendants waving honorific fly whisks. One whisk is made from the white tail-hairs of a yak (cauri or chowri). The second whisk is made from peacock feathers (morchal). In the lower left corner, a scribe holds a writing board inscribed with the words “Shri Ramma [Rama].” In the lower right corner, an artist draws on a drawing board.
