Preparing Shiva's Drink

Currently not on view

Preparing Shiva's Drink

c. 1840

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

Shiva and his wife, Parvati, sit near each other yet they are separated by the jeweled tree in the background. With her head bent, Parvati embodies the role of a devotee. This composition achieves a sense of symmetry by including another divine worshiper, further diminishing the goddess’s position. Shiva is a wandering, solitary ascetic and here Parvati assists in preparing bhang, a hallucinogenic drink made from cannabis, with the small fire, vessel, and other items placed before him.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Preparing Shiva's Drink

Date:

c. 1840

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

Medium:

Opaque watercolor on paper

Dimensions:

Image: 5 × 8 3/16 inches (12.7 × 20.8 cm) Sheet: 6 15/16 × 10 inches (17.6 × 25.4 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Gift of Stella Kramrisch, 1975

Accession Number:

1975-148-2

Geography:

Possibly made in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India, Asia

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Currently not on view