A Paubha of a Shiva mandala
Nepal, 18th century
Shiva seated on two bulls at center, holding a variety of attributes in his ten radiating hands, dressed in a tiger skin and adorned with a garland of severed heads, the five multicolored faces all with third eye and skull tiara, backed by an aureole within an eight-leaved lotus blossom supporting other seated Hindu deities and seated human figures, with representations of Vishnu, Surya, Ganesha, and Lakshmi, with a dark lingam at top flanked by various deities and a band of temple scenes and donors below
Opaque pigments and gold on textile 36¼ x 24½ in. (92.1 x 62.2 cm.)
Details
- Title : A Paubha of a Shiva mandala
- Classification : Painting
- Medium : Opaque pigments and gold on textile
- Dimension : 36¼ x 24½ in. (92.1 x 62.2 cm.)
- Country/ Geo-location : Nepal
- Period : 18TH CENTURY
- Collection : Christies
- LOT : 137
- Lot Essay : Although the mix of Hindu and Buddhist traditions is particularly strong in Nepal, extant Shiva mandalas are relatively rare, making the iconographic identification of all of the deities challenging. While the form of Bhairava on Shiva's proper left is without question, the other three gods seated on the lotus petals are less clear. In the white form seated on Garuda, Dr. Pratapaditya Pal sees Shiva identified with Vishnu. The half-male, half-female figure seated at the central figure's proper right rides a swan or goose; Pal sees this as a Shaiva representation of Brahma, the third deity in the Hindu Trinity. Finally, the red figure seated on the goat-like animal may symbolize the fire-god, Agni. In between these four seated deities are four human figures, each with different skin colors; here, Pal sees likely a representation of the four traditional varnas, or castes--the brahmins, kings, farmers and merchants, and laborers. For a complete iconographic interpretation of this paubha, see P. Pal, The Arts of Nepal, vol. II, 1978, p. 91-92.
- Price realised : USD 7,500
- Estimate : USD 12,000 - USD 18,000
- Provenance : Doris Wiener Gallery, New York, 1968
- Literature : P. Pal, The Arts of Nepal, vol. II, 1978, p. 91-92, fig. 123