CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Subject: Lower portion, Musician and deer; Todi Ragini

Subject: Upper right portion, deer; Ram Singh II (r. 1828-1866) of Kotah; Ram Singh II Hunting a Tiger

Subject: Shakuntala and Deer, Shakuntala stands at the gate of the hermitage with a deer. Published by S.S. Brijbasi and Sons, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

Subject: Shiva: arms on right side and rear hand with deer; Shiva as Tripuravijaya, Victor of the Three Cities, and Consort

Subject: Right rear hand with deer; Vinadharamurti, Shiva as Lord of Music

Subject: Leaf 3, center: Sudhana and a deer; The Gandavyuha, part of an influential Buddhist text known as the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower-Ornament Sutra), narrates the pilgrimage of a young man named Sudhana as he travels from teacher to teacher in search of enlightenment. Sudhana's journey illustrates the importance of gaining wisdom and compassion before one is able to reach enlightenment.

Subject: Lower center portion, Nayika with deer; Gaudi Ragini

Subject: Bhiksatana-Kankala form: Kankalmurti is one of Shiva's manifestations. Here his front left hand holds a drum or damaru and his front right hand holds a bana, a short stick by which the drum is played. His back right hand is held in the kataka gesture, near the mouth of his pet deer. His back left arm holds a kankala-danda, a staff on which the bones of the arms and legs of the slain person are tied. His ornamentation includes multiple necklaces, a waistband, a scared thread, armlets, elbow bands, bangles, anklets and rings.

Subject: Kannapar, standing. Kannappa symbolizes the innocent, simple, intense devotion of a simple forest dweller. Kannappa was made the crown prince of his tribe. He once saw a linga on the top of the Kailahasti hill and being told that it was Shiva; he was drawn to it and refused to leave the place. He offered it the flesh of hunted deer, removed the flowers from the linga with his slippers in order to clean it and brought water in his mouth to pour over the Lord. One day Kannappa noticed that one of the eyes of the linga was bleeding, Kannappa plucked one of his eyes and placed it on the linga. The bleeding stopped but the other eye now began to bleed. He was about to remove his other eye with an arrow when he was stopped from doing so by Shiva himself who appeared in person. Kannappa was blessed by the Lord and ever since his innocent love has been immortalized in poetry, religion and art. In this image, Kannappa is shown standing, wearing leather slippers, and the lower garment is made of leather fringed with cowrie shells. The left arm is held in the pose of wielding a bow, while the plucked eye rests on the palm of the right hand. The headdress is like a Jatamukuta but decorated with feathers indicating his status as a forest dweller.

Subject: Fossil Dept. with skeleton of Irish Deer, Indian Museum (Calcutta Houses)

Subject: Female divinity seated, fragment

Subject: Female divinity

Subject: Mandapa pillar, detail: Mrga

Subject: Mandapa pillar, detail showing chakra between two mrgas

Subject: Tiger attacks deer, poster print

Subject: Cross-bar fragment carved on both sides, side two: a deer, found from Katra Keshavadeo (Mathura)

Subject: Shiva . The Hindu god Shiva is represented here wearing a garland of skulls around his neck and carries in his hands a deerskin, a trident, a small hand drum and the fourth hand is in abhayamudra (gesture of fearlessness). We also see Shiva’s vehicle in the world, his vahana, the bull Nandi. This object has been procured from State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC) Show House Museum, Handicrafts Complex.

Subject: Shiva . The Hindu god Shiva is represented here wearing a garland of skulls around his neck and carries in his hands a deerskin, a trident, a small hand drum and the fourth hand is in abhayamudra (gesture of fearlessness). We also see Shiva’s vehicle in the world, his vahana, the bull Nandi. This object has been procured from State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC) Show House Museum, Handicrafts Complex.

Subject: Shiva . The Hindu god Shiva is represented here wearing a garland of skulls around his neck and carries in his hands a deerskin, a trident, a small hand drum and the fourth hand is in abhayamudra (gesture of fearlessness). We also see Shiva’s vehicle in the world, his vahana, the bull Nandi. This object has been procured from State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC) Show House Museum, Handicrafts Complex.

Subject: Deer. This is a painted wooden deer. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. Animal figures are a popular theme. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used. This object has been procured by State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC) Show House.

Subject: Deer. This is a painted wooden deer. An essential part of growing up in Odisha is toys, dolls, puppets and masks from wood. Animal figures are a popular theme. These toys are richly colored and developed in a stylized form. Often, gambhari or beech wood, the local wood is used for the carvings as it has a fine texture and is light-cream color though other woods may also be used. This object has been procured by State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC) Show House.

Subject: Dowry Box . Pedis, or dowry boxes are created by chitrakaras and are used to store items of dowries. These are wooden boxes often made of gambhari wood which are covered with cloth canvas and painted over. The boxes may be decorated with scenes from the life of Krishna or they may be decorated with images of musicians and dancers, animals, plants, or other designs. This is a view of a deer.

Subject: Dowry Box. Pedis, or dowry boxes are created by chitrakaras and are used to store items of dowries. These are wooden boxes often made of gamharia wood which are covered with cloth canvas and painted over. The boxes may be decorated with scenes from the life of Krishna or they may be decorated with images of musicians and dancers, animals, plants, or other designs. This side shows a deer.

Subject: Dowry Box. Pedis, or dowry boxes are created by chitrakaras and are used to store items of dowries. These are wooden boxes often made of gamharia wood which are covered with cloth canvas and painted over. The boxes may be decorated with scenes from the life of Krishna or they may be decorated with images of musicians and dancers, animals, plants, or other designs. Side view of the box. One side shows a horse and the other side shows a deer.