The painting depicts a dark-skinned figure with multiple arms, each holding different symbolic items. The figure is adorned with a garland of skulls and is shown with wide eyes and an extended tongue, surrounded by a border of geometric patterns.
Type of Painting
Watercolor
Artwork Details
Medium
Paper
Subject
Kali
Subject Person or Organization
Kali
Subject Place
Country
India
Acquisition
Accession
1998.09
Source or Donor
Derek Davenport
Acquisition Method
Gift
Credit Line
Gift of Derek Davenport
Ethnography
Cultural Region
Region
Madhubani
Country
India
Notes
Traditionally produced by women, Madhubani/Mithila paintings are identifiable by bright colors, geometric patterning, and two-dimensionality.
Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
Attribution, Note
Location
Back Upper Left Corner
Transcription
"KALi"
The Goddess of destruction
Language
English
Material/Technique
Pen
Type
Note
Location
Back Bottom Right Corner
Transcription
1998.09.21 DAD
Language
English
Material/Technique
Pencil
Lexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
Painting
Nomenclature Class
Art
Nomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication Objects
Dimensions
Height
30 in
Width
22 in
Provenance
Notes
Derek Davenport (1927-2017), West Lafayette, Indiana; donated to the Purdue University Galleries in 1998
