Description
The ruler of the small princely state of Kota, dressed as a priest of the Pushti Marg sect, holds a lamp with five flames. He pays homage to a triad of metal images with Krishna in the center, flanked by two consorts, enshrined in a small kiosk lined with metallic panels designed to reflect light. This icon is worshiped only in Kota.
A multitude of glass lamps hang from the ceiling, and toys and games to amuse Krishna and his companions have been arranged on the steps leading up to the altar, including brass elephants, silver cows, balls, and a pachisi board.
A multitude of glass lamps hang from the ceiling, and toys and games to amuse Krishna and his companions have been arranged on the steps leading up to the altar, including brass elephants, silver cows, balls, and a pachisi board.
Provenance
(Terence McInerney, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1978); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1978–)
Accession Number
1978.71
Medium
Gum tempera, silver, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 24.5 x 18.8 cm (9 5/8 x 7 3/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
James Albert and Mary Gardiner Ford Memorial Fund