May 26, 2016

Devi Enshrined and Holding the Tongue of a Demon

Devi Enshrined and Holding the Tongue of a Demon

c. 1725

Gum tempera, gold, and silver on paper

Page: 35.6 x 26.7 cm (14 x 10 1/2 in.)

Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.200

Location

Did you know?

His spiky hair standing on end suggests that the naked figure is a demon.

Description

This enigmatic painting remains unidentified. Set in a forest teeming with wildlife, a four-armed goddess with three eyes and a crescent moon in her crown shows her dominance over a naked, ashen male figure standing to her left by clutching his tongue. In her right hands, she appears to hold agricultural implements, while in her upper left hand she holds a mace.

See also

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