Fragment from a Markendeya Purana scroll: Vishnu on the pipal leaf / Artist Unknown, India, Northern Andhra Pradesh

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Record Details

Accession Number
1980/2.306
Title
Fragment from a Markendeya Purana scroll: Vishnu on the pipal leaf
Artist Nationality
Indian
Object Creation Date
late 18th century
Object Creation Place
Asia (continent)
India (nation)
Andhra Pradesh (state)
Creation Place 1
Asia (continent)
Creation Place 2
India (nation)
Creation Place 3
Andhra Pradesh (state)
Dimensions
113.35 cm x 112.4 cm x 3.18 cm (44 5/8 in. x 44 1/4 in. x 1 1/4 in.)
Century
18th century
Primary Object Classification
Painting
Primary Object Type
narrative painting
Physical Description
The blue four-armed Vishnu is shown lying on a gigantic pipal leaf with his left leg crossed over his right leg; as his female consort gently strokes his leg, he awakens from a long sleep. Another woman fans him. From his navel sprouts a lotus, bearing the four-headed creator god, Brahma, and rishis or sages appear in the upper branches of the pipal tree. Vishnu has four arms carrying a discus and a conch in his back hands and the lower left arm is extended pointing towards the women at his feet while the lower right am is cross towards his stomach.
The iconography is further compounded by the image in the lower register of a tortoise at the bottom of the ocean of milk, bearing a mountain on his back. The tortoise is in fact Kurma, another manifestation of Vishnu, supporting the cosmic axis. Elephants have gathered to pay homage to him, while in a small inset at right, a worshipper pays homage to Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. A large red figure faces the scene to the right accompanied by small blue figures to his sides as if behind him. Two sages, one horse-headed, are to the upper right.
Subject Matter
This is Bhavana[rsi] who is the progenitor of the weaver cast that commissioned these long scrolls, about 28 feet long with various scenes. The Ahmedabad one has 26, while the example in the Mittal collection has 22. The Ahmedabad one begins with the trinity and then Ganesa, while the earlier one begins with Ganesa.
No big rulers associated with these commissions. The artists were apparently the same as the ones that did work for the bigger patrons and quite adept. Northern Andhra is the area, so Varangal is largest city, but the painters are from smaller towns nearby.
Jagdish Mittal has some, Salar Jung, and Seattle pieces are cut up as are the ones in this collection. Perhaps today ome of the fragments, and perhaps whole scrolls, have lost the connection with the Markendeya iconography and have modern caste connections to the tales.
The University of Michigan scroll fragments are closer to the Ahmedabad example with figures more stick like and not rounded like the earlier example. A date of the late 18th century then is possible. In fact the style seems virtually identical in every way.
Primary Keywords
deity
elephants
fish
hinduism
vishnu
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Image Size
941 x 931
File Size
136 KB
Record
1980/2.306
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1980-sl-2.306/1980_2.306.jpg

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"Fragment from a Markendeya Purana scroll: Vishnu on the pipal leaf; ; Artist Unknown, India, Northern Andhra Pradesh." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1980-sl-2.306/1980_2.306.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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