PaintingsIndian18th century

Asavari Ragini, illustration from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) series

1780-1790

Description

The Asavari Ragini, is commonly represented by a female heroine (nayika) that charms snakes either through her dance or through her music. In this painting, the female figure sits on an outcropping of lilac-colored rocks, between two silvery bodies of water. She plays a pungi, a type of wind instrument, to charm the snakes. The snakes spiraling down the tree and coiling around the figure’s limbs. Contrary to the stereotypical presentation of Asavari Ragini as a dark-skinned tribal woman garbed in leaves or feathers, she appears in this painting as fair-haired and fashionably dressed, with fingertips colored by henna. Her upswept topknot signals that she should be viewed as a yogini—a woman who follows the Hindu ascetic path. Conventionally, Asavari Ragini is a solitary figure, but here she is accompanied by a semi-clad ascetic, who stands at left. The standing ascetic is attended by a dog and holds a fan and a meditation crutch, all of which symbolize that the devotee is of the ascetic Nath order. This painting is a pictorial metaphor for a raga, a musical phrase that is used as the basis for improvisation). Deccan.

Classification

Paintings

Medium

Opaque watercolor, gold, and tin on paper

Culture

Indian

Century

18th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art