Sacrificial Fire, from the "Tula Ram" Bhagavata Purana

Description

The evil king Kamsa organized a fire sacrifice in order to bring about the death of his brother-in-law, Vasudeva, father of the Hindu god incarnated as Krishna. The four-armed god of creation, Brahma, attends at the upper left with the sage, or holy man, Narada at the upper right.

Scholars have linked the copious floral motifs throughout this dispersed series with textile patterns. This series was created in a port city, the center of flourishing international textile trade.

Provenance

George Bickford [1901–1991], Cleveland Heights, OH (by 1975); John D. Proctor, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–1990); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1990–)

Sacrificial Fire, from the "Tula Ram" Bhagavata Purana

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c. 1720

Accession Number

1990.40

Medium

Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

Dimensions

Overall: 25.4 x 21.5 cm (10 x 8 7/16 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of John D. Proctor