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Source Description

This box is covered in a variety of birds, animals, and plants. The central motifs on the lids include images of four Hindu gods: Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, and Ganesha. The blue figures are Vishnu and Krishna, the latter of which is an incarnation of the former who is shown playing a flute. The elephant-headed Ganesha is red and accompanied by his mount, the bandicoot rat Dinka. The four-armed Shiva is paired with two animals, including a tiger and his sacred bull mount Nandi. <br><br>Small enamel boxes could be used to house many different substances, from cosmetics to spices to stimulants, including opium and <em>paan</em>, a digestive typically given at formal gatherings as a sign of the host’s hospitality.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
437547
label
Cover for a Box Decorated with Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, and Ganesha
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
437547
contentType
object
title
Cover for a Box Decorated with Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, and Ganesha
description
This box is covered in a variety of birds, animals, and plants. The central motifs on the lids include images of four Hindu gods: Shiva, Krishna, Vishnu, and Ganesha. The blue figures are Vishnu and Krishna, the latter of which is an incarnation of the former who is shown playing a flute. The elephant-headed Ganesha is red and accompanied by his mount, the bandicoot rat Dinka. The four-armed Shiva is paired with two animals, including a tiger and his sacred bull mount Nandi. <br><br>Small enamel boxes could be used to house many different substances, from cosmetics to spices to stimulants, including opium and <em>paan</em>, a digestive typically given at formal gatherings as a sign of the host’s hospitality.
date
c. 1800
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q115755079
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
cul
Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Jaipur
accession
1989.353.b
Source extras
tec
gold with enamel
tombstone
Cover for a Box Decorated with Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, and Ganesha, c. 1800. Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Jaipur. Gold with enamel. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin, 1989.353.b
collection
Indian Art
didYouKnow
Ganesha’s mount is the rat by his left knee.
citations
citation
<em>Catalogue of the Severance and Greta Millikin Collection</em>. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1990.
page_number
Mentioned: cat. no. 196, p. 92.
creditline
Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin
updatedAt
2026-05-29 09:00:06.986000
sourceId
437547
dept
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
coll
Indian Art
med
gold with enamel
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
a64bf80597bd0c65