Asavari Ragini (painting, recto; text, verso), from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) Series

On the recto side of the page, is a depiction of the Asavari Ragini, which is commonly represented by a female heroine that charms snakes either through her dance or through her music. In this painting, the female figure, bare-chested and wearing a skirt made of leaves, plays a flute while seated on a rock. A group of cobras slithers towards her. In the background on the left is a lingam, the aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva, with a snake nearby. The snake is one of Shiva’s attributes. This painting is a pictorial metaphor for a raga, a musical phrase that is used as the basis for improvisation. This folio belongs to a Ragamala or "Garland of Melodies" series produced in Malpura. The text in the top register of the folio in this series is written alternatively in gold and silver. The use of such precious materials might suggest elite patronage. Based on the colophon, this painting was the last page of the album. The colophon is written in Devanagari script, and gives the details that the artist Jai Kisan completed the series in 1756 CE. Three other folios of the same series are in the Harvard Art Museums’ collections: 1960.681, 1963.73, 1969.174. Rajput, Rajasthani, Malpura School.