A FOLIO FROM A DISPERSED DEVI MAHATMYA SERIES
Great Goddess Durga and Kali face the demon armies
Guler, Pahari Hills, circa 1810-20
Opaque pigments with gold on paper, dark blue border, the cover sheet stamped with the purple ink Mandi royal inventory containing the number 371, above which is 33
4 ½ by 8 1/5 in.; 13.9 by 20.9 cm. painting
6 1/3 by 9 in.; 16.2 by 23 cm. folio
Inscriptions
On the cover sheet, the number 33 in Devanagari script is written twice, and the number 371 is written within the purple ink stamp. It is likely that 33 refers to the folio number.
Provenance
Royal collection, Mandi, (inventory stamp on cover sheet)
Private collection, Germany, 1980s-90s
With Rob Dean, London, 2012
Private collection, USA, 2012-2025
On a battlefield, with two finely detailed trees in the left foreground, two goddesses prepare to combat the vast demon horde amassed on the right. Against a vibrant palette, Kali exudes a palpable sense of demonic fury while Durga approaches with calm, single-minded determination.
The Devi Mahatmya recounts how the great goddess or Durga, created from the combined energies of the gods, vanquishes numerous demons. Incensed by various setbacks at the hands of the goddess, Shumbha, the lord of the demons, sends his vast armies, led by Chanda and Munda, to capture her. When the goddess sees the demon forces approaching, she frowns; Kali emerges from the goddess’s forehead and destroys the entire host. As the slayer of Chanda and Munda, Kali is also known as Chamunda. Here in this work, Chanda and Munda sit in chariots and approach with their forces from the right. On the left is the eight-armed goddess, wearing her armour and mounted on her tiger. Between them stands the dreadful four-armed figure of Kali who is emaciated, with dishevelled hair, a furrowed brow and glaring eyes, wearing only a leopard skin, and carrying a noose, sword and part of a skeletal ribcage.