Playing cards (ganjifa) first reached India from the Iranian region in the early 16th century, and the eight-suited ‘Mughal ganjifa’ pack subsequently became very widespread. A later Hindu alternative was the ten-suited dasavatara pack, in which each suit represents one of the ten avatars or incarnations of Vishnu: Matsya (fish), Kurma (turtle), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (man-lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalkin.
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.
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
© 2013 University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum