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Raja Sidh Sen’s Vision of Savari Durga

Attributed to The Mandi Master
ca. 1720
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Here Raja Sidh Sen, a devout and powerful ruler credited with tantric powers, pays homage to Savari Durga, a regional form of the goddess. Identifiable by her bow and peacock-feathered skirt, she gazes at her subject with bloodshot eyes and blows a horn, confronting him. A terrifying presence, she holds the fresh top of a head, which still bears the red tilaka stripes that indicate it is from one of her devotees, while crows fly above her and the jackals at her feet hint at charnel grounds. The Mandi Master’s bold works are immediately recognizable because of their saturated colors, created from roughly ground pigments, and their distinct style, which makes no attempt to present a realistic likeness of the ruler, but rather conveys his devotional passion.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Raja Sidh Sen’s Vision of Savari Durga
  • Artist: Attributed to The Mandi Master (active 1st half of the 18th century)
  • Date: ca. 1720
  • Culture: India, Punjab Hills, court of Mandi
  • Medium: Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
  • Dimensions: Page: H. 12 1/16 in. (30.6 cm)
    W. 8 5/16 in. (21.1 cm)
    Painting: H. 11 1/8 in. (28.3 cm)
    W. 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Promised Gift of Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art