Details
- Title : Bookcovers from a Shaiva manuscript (a pair)
- Year : 18th century
- Classification : Manuscript Painting
- Medium : Opaque watercolour on wood
- Dimension : 17 7/32 in. x 4 9/16 in. (43.7 cm x 11.6 cm)
- Accession No : 1990.168.a-b
- Country/ Geo-location : NEPAL
- Collection : San Diego Museum of Art
- Credit Line : Edwin Binney 3rd Collection
- Provenance : (1) Sven Gahlin, London, England ( - May 30, 1979 ) (2) Edwin Binney 3rd, San Diego, California ( May 30, 1979 - August 27, 1990 ) (3) San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California ( August 27, 1990 - )
- Label Copy : Label Copy: September 2005 Devotional Arts of Nepal The worship of Shiva is a prominent aspect of Nepali religious life. Texts detailing aspects of this Hindu god's mythology and his status as supreme divinity and creator, such as the Shiva Purana, were frequently copied and provided with painted bookcovers. Forms of Shiva were appropriated by Nepalis into the tantric Buddhist pantheon. Shiva can emanate himself in a variety of forms, and twelve four-armed Shivas of various hues sit in a rocky landscape, looking at one another in pairs. Certain iconographic elements are constant among the diverse forms, including the crescent moon in the headdress, matted locks of hair, serpents for jewelry, and wild feline skins for the lower garment. Sonya Quintanilla (2014) QuebecBook Covers from a Shaiva manuscript Nepal, 18th century Opaque watercolor on wood Edwin Binney 3rd Collection, 1990.168.a-b The worship of Shiva is a prominent aspect of Nepali religious life. Texts detailing aspects of this Hindu god's mythology and his status as supreme divinity and creator, such as the Shiva Purana, were frequently copied and provided with painted bookcovers. Forms of Shiva were appropriated by Nepalis into the tantric Buddhist pantheon. Shiva can emanate himself in a variety of forms, and twelve four-armed Shivas of various hues sit in a rocky landscape, looking at one another in pairs. Certain iconographic elements are constant among the diverse forms, including the crescent moon in the headdress, matted locks of hair, serpents for jewelry, and wild feline skins for the lower garment.
- Exhibition History : Into India: South Asian Paintings from The San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Art, 2/28/2012 - 5/27/2012