Cleveland Museum of Art

Devi Enshrined and Holding the Tongue of a Demon

Date

c. 1725

Medium

gum tempera, gold, and silver on paper

Culture

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Sirohi; or Northern Deccan, Aurangabad

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This enigmatic painting remains unidentified. Set in a forest teeming with wildlife, a four-armed goddess with three eyes and a crescent moon in her crown shows her dominance over a naked, ashen male figure standing to her left by clutching his tongue. In her right hands, she appears to hold agricultural implements, while in her upper left hand she holds a mace. His spiky hair standing on end suggests that the naked figure is a demon.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.