Pahari, Kulu, 1750

Opaque watercolor painting and gold on paper

11 1/4 x 7 11/16 in (28.6 x 19.5 cm)

Provenance:

Ramesh Kapoor, New York, New York ( – March 7, 1985 )

Edwin Binney 3rd, San Diego, California ( March 7, 1985 – August 27, 1990 )

San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California ( August 27, 1990 – )

Exhibited:

Art of South Asia: 13th – 19th Century, The San Diego Museum of Art, 11/23/2013 – 6/8/2014

The Hindu divinity Garuda (whose name means eagle) is a mythical creature who serves as the mount, or vehicle, for the god Vishnu. In sacred texts he is described as colossal, with a man’s body, an eagle’s beak, and red wings; he wears snakes around his wrists and in his hair. While he was sometimes worshipped alone, and was believed to provide protection from snakes, this image is unusual in its depiction of a great, feathered beast supporting Hindu divinities.