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View: Reverse
Parvati Standing on Two Couchant Lions, She Has One Head, Eight Arms
Nepalese
16th–17th century
Object Place: Nepal
Medium/Technique
Distemper on cotton
Dimensions
Overall: 62 x 43cm (24 7/16 x 16 15/16in.)
Credit Line
Otis Norcross Fund
Accession Number20.780
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia
ClassificationsPaintings
DescriptionPainting with no borders, with considerable losses, possibly originally in thangka format.
On obverse, a female deity, perhaps Durga, stands on two vyali-like animals atop a multi-colored lotus. She is green in color, with 2 legs and 8 arms, holding a sword, a flame, a mala (rosary), a shield, a skull cup, and a text. Above her head is an elaborate, multi-colored canopy. Painted borders surround the image. On reverse, a male deity (possibly Nataraja) stands on two orange goats. He is white in color, with 2 legs and 10 arms. He wears a crown with a small image of a deity. He has four faces, each with mustache and goatee and third eye. He holds a damaru (drum), axe, blade with peacock feathers (?), mala (rosary), trident, skull cup, snake, rearing deer, and vase. He wears a snake necklace. The background is a repeated scroll pattern of red on red. The borders are painted.
On obverse, a female deity, perhaps Durga, stands on two vyali-like animals atop a multi-colored lotus. She is green in color, with 2 legs and 8 arms, holding a sword, a flame, a mala (rosary), a shield, a skull cup, and a text. Above her head is an elaborate, multi-colored canopy. Painted borders surround the image. On reverse, a male deity (possibly Nataraja) stands on two orange goats. He is white in color, with 2 legs and 10 arms. He wears a crown with a small image of a deity. He has four faces, each with mustache and goatee and third eye. He holds a damaru (drum), axe, blade with peacock feathers (?), mala (rosary), trident, skull cup, snake, rearing deer, and vase. He wears a snake necklace. The background is a repeated scroll pattern of red on red. The borders are painted.
Provenance1920, gift of Otis Norcross Fund to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 3, 1920)