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Bhadrakali, Destroyer of the Universe
- loan
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Description
This powerful esoteric Tantric image represents one of the most terrifying iconic forms of Devi (the Goddess), imbued with the destructive ferocity of her darker side. Standing on a corpse, Bhadrakali (‘Auspicious Kali’) consumes dead bodies while holding a massive sword, the severed heads of the creator god Brahma, and the limp corpses of Shiva and Vishnu.
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Details
- Associated place
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Asia › India › north-west India › Jammu and Kashmir › Kathua district › Basohli (place of creation)
- Date
- 1660 - 1670
- Material and technique
- gouache with gold, silver, and beetle-wing case on paper
- Dimensions
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frame 31.4 x 29.4 x 1.6 cm (height x width x depth)
painting 23 x 21 cm (height x width)
- Material index
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processed material › metal › gold,organic › animal › animal tissue › insect tissue › beetle tissue,
- Technique index
- Object type index
- No. of items
- 1
- Credit line
- Lent by Howard Hodgkin.
- Accession no.
- LI118.82
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Further reading
Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2nd February-22nd April 2012, Visions of Mughal India: The Collection of Howard Hodgkin, Andrew Topsfield, ed. (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2012), no. 50 on p. 124, p. 18, illus. p. 125
Glossary
Vishnu
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Vishnu
Vishnu is, with Shiva, one of the two most important gods in later Hinduism. He is regarded as sustainer of the universe and maintainer of order. Assuming various forms (avatars), he restores the balance of good and evil in the world.
Past Exhibition
see (1)
Location
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- Returned to lender
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