Skanda, the female consort of Skanda Kartikeya the warrior godson of Shiva. This is only a tentative identification and not textually supported.
Full of character, facial expression and colour these four deities remain unidentified. They are painted on paper with the reverse of each filled with text in the Nagari script of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. These pages are from a much larger set depicting an entire Tantric system, however, these deities display both Hindu and Buddhist features. An informed identification awaits further study.
Jeff Watt 5-2005
Reverse of Painting
English Translation of Inscription: (Nagari script).
Details
- Title : Skanda, the female consort of Skanda Kartikeya
- Year : 1400 - 1499
- Classification : Painting
- Medium : Ground Mineral Pigment on Paper
- Accession No : F1997.46.4
- Country/ Geo-location : Nepal
- Culture : Hinduism
- Collection : The Rubin Museum of Art
- Exhibition : Female Buddhas at RMA
- Exhibition : From the Land of the Gods: Art of the Kathmandu Valley