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Source Description
Kali, a fierce form of the Great Goddess of the Hindu traditions, stands over the body of the god Shiva, who, despite his open eyes and ithyphallic state, doubles as a corpse ("shava") on a burning funeral pyre. Kali’s association with cremation grounds and her ornaments of severed heads, severed arms, and corpses are reminders of life’s impermanence and the goddess’s power over time ("kala"). The sword points to her destructive capacity, and when slaying demons, she uses her lolling tongue to lap up their blood. Kali is at once fearsome and nurturing to her devotees, and with the gestures of her two right hands, she offers them generosity and reassurance.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
10042
label
Kali
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
10042
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Kali
description
Kali, a fierce form of the Great Goddess of the Hindu traditions, stands over the body of the god Shiva, who, despite his open eyes and ithyphallic state, doubles as a corpse ("shava") on a burning funeral pyre. Kali’s association with cremation grounds and her ornaments of severed heads, severed arms, and corpses are reminders of life’s impermanence and the goddess’s power over time ("kala"). The sword points to her destructive capacity, and when slaying demons, she uses her lolling tongue to lap up their blood. Kali is at once fearsome and nurturing to her devotees, and with the gestures of her two right hands, she offers them generosity and reassurance.
provenance
John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 2001, by gift.
date
1800-1825
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Manuscripts & Rare Books
miniatures (paintings)
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
27
height
19.1
dimensionsRaw
10 5/8 x 7 1/2 in. (27 x 19.1 cm)
Source extras
med
opaque watercolor and gold paint on paper
creator_ids
2191
collection_ids
INT
exhibition_ids
2219
2071
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
a961164df144e2b4