A leaf from the Ramayana:
Rama and his allies take counsel
India, Guler
c. 1790
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
Folio: 10 x 13 7/8 in.  (25 x 35.3 cm.)
Image: 8 x 12 in. (20.3 x 30.5 cm.)

Provenance:
Christie’s, London, 8 July 1982, lot 144
Private collection, since 1982

The scene depicting the blue-skinned Rama with his brother Lakshmana to his left, receiving a message delivered by Jambhavan, king of the bear army, who has pledged his bear army to fight alongside Rama and the monkey forces in order to rescue Sita. The group is encircled and protected by the monkeys and bears of Rama’s army, some of whom are carrying tree branches. Others have their heads turned towards the fortified golden citadel of Lanka, situated on a rocky cliff.

The portrayal of the seemingly invincible fortress of Lanka placed atop sheer rocky escarpments may be compared to another illustration from the same series: see Roy C. Craven (ed.), Ramayana Pahari Paintings, Bombay, 1990 no. 8, pp. 98-99.

Illustration to the Devi Mahatmya: Homage of the Gods
India, Guler
c. 1810
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
8 3/4 x 12 2/3 in. (22 x 32 cm.)

Provenance: Private American collection

This exquisitely rendered Devi Mahatmya sketch from the Markandeya Purana depicts Kali leading female forms of the gods, who ride their respective vahanas, including Shiva’s Nandi, Indra’s white elephant Airavata, Kartikeya’s peacock and Vishnu’s eagle Garuda. The gods are seen praising the Shaktis individually and their weapons, as well as all the different forms of the Goddess. Each figure is executed with precision, the bold colors and strong figures masterfully filling out the composition.

Illustration to the Markandeya Purana
Devi Mahatmya
India, Guler
c. 1810
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
8 1/4 x 12 in. (20.9 x 30.5 cm.)

Provenance: Christies, London, 10 October 1989, lot 70 

Sumbha, enthroned on a terrace under a canopy, two attendants behind him, hears news of Ambika from Chanda and Munda who come before him, as a demon stands behind him.

“Then Chanda and Munda, two servants of Shumbha and Nishumbha happened to see that Ambika (Kausiki) looking extremely beautiful. They reported to Shumbha:
“O great king there is an exceedingly beautiful woman whose queenly beauty is illuminating the Himalaya. No-one has ever seen such sublime loveliness anywhere. Find out who that goddess is and take possession of Her, O Lord of Asuras. She is a gem among women, with exquisitely beautiful limbs which illuminate the four directions with their lustre. There she stands, O King of Demons.

You deserve to see Her.

Lord! Whatever precious stones, jewels, elephants, horses and so on are in the three worlds, all now decorate your house, O King! You have obtained the precious elephant Airavat, also the fabulous tree Parijata, as well as the wonderful horse Ucchaishrava, which was Indra’s. Here in the courtyard stands the gem-studded chariot drawn by swans, brought here from Brahma the Progenitor. Here is the treasure Mahapadma from Kubera and the unfading lotus garland Kinjalkini, the gift from the ocean. Varuna’s umbrella, which showers gold, now stands in your house with the superb chariot that once belonged to Prajapati.

Lord! You have snatched Utkrantida, the missile of Yama by which he gives exit to all creatures.

Your brother now possesses the noose of the Ocean King. Nishumbha also has all the gems from the Ocean while you have the two fire-proof garments from Agni.

O Demon king, as all these gems have been given you why not also seize this jewel among women?”

The Rishi said:
After listening to all this from Chanda and Munda, Shumbha sent out the mighty demon Sugriva as his messenger to the Devi. He said:

“Go and convey my invitation to Her in a gentle way so that She will be affectionate toward me.”

Going over to the lovely mountain seat of the Goddess, the messenger spoke in a sweet, soothing tone, saying:

O Devi, I am the messenger of Shumbha, Lord of the Demons and Sovereign of the three worlds. He has vanquished all his foes among Asuras and even the Gods were unable to resist him. He sent me here to Your presence. Listen to what he says, his message is this:
“All the three worlds are mine. Even the Gods obey me. I eat all the offerings which once were theirs. All the finest jewels of the three worlds are now mine. Even Indra’s elephant, Airavata, I now have. With salutations the Gods have even offered me the glorious horses called Ucchaihsravas which arose at the churning of the milk ocean.

O magnificent lady! All the other objects which belonged to the Gods or Gandhavas or Nagas, all are now in my possession. We regard You, O Devi, as the jewel among womankind. Therefore, come to us, we who are the connoisseurs of gems. Come to me or to my powerful younger brother Nishumbha, O Lady of the quick side-glances, You are indeed a sparkling jewel. By marrying me You will gain incomparable wealth. Think of the advantage and become my wife.”

The Rishi said:
When this was said, the adorable Goddess Durga who sustains and protects the universe, smiled thoughtfully and said:

“What you say is true, no doubt. Shumbha is indeed sovereign of the three worlds together with Nishumbha. But how may I nullify My former vow? Please listen to this vow I once made in ignorance: I once declared I would only marry one who could be My equal in strength, one who could defeat Me in battle and remove My pride, only he could be my husband.

So let Shumbha come here, or Nishumbha the great Asura, let him vanquish me without delay and gently take my hand in marriage.”

The messenger said:

O Devi! This is arrogance! Do not talk this way to me! Name a single god from the three worlds who is capable of standing against Shumbha and Nishumbha!

In fact all the Gods were unable to face even the other Asuras in battle. So how could You, a single woman do this on your own? If Indra and all the other Godheads united could not defeat Shumbha, how will You, a woman, dare to face him?

It would be better that You heed my message and go to Shumbha and Nishumbha yourself. Otherwise you will suffer the humiliation of being dragged there by the hair.

The Devi said:

It is true. Shumbha is strong. Nishumbha is very heroic. But what can I do? In My ignorance I made my vow earlier. You go back to the Asura Lord and tell him politely what I have said then he may do whatever he pleases.”

A Leaf from the Devi Mahatmya: Homage of the Gods
Attb. To a master of the first generation after Nainsukh and Manaku
India, Guler
c. 1775 – 1780
Ink on paper
5 5/8 x 7 7/8 in. (14.2 x 20 cm.)

Provenance: From the Collection of Stuart Cary Welch [1928 – 2008]

This exquisitely drawn Devi Mahatmya sketch from the Markandeya Purana depicts Kali leading female forms of the gods, who ride their respective vahanas, including Shiva’s Nandi, Indra’s white elephant, Karttikeya’s peacock and Vishnu’s eagle Garuda. The gods are seen praising the Shaktis individually and their weapons as well as all the different forms of the Goddess. Drawn using a red ink, the work exudes the delicacy and lyricism of a master artist.

This piece is very likely a precursor for an illustration now in the Lahore Museum [Homage of the Gods, LM no. E.193 (02065/1929)] and illustrated in Pahari Paintings & Sikh Portraits in the Lahore Museum by F.S Aijazuddin, 1977 (Page 32, Guler 41xxx) The entire series of 34 paintings are dated Phagun (February- March), V.S. 1838
(1781 AD).

Illustration to Book Three of the Bhagavata Purana: The Story of Creation
Varaha, the Boar Incarnation of Vishnu Appears before Brahma, Manu, and Satarupa
Attributed to Manaku (Active c. 1725 – c. 1760)
India, Guler
c. 1740
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
12 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. (31.7 x 21.6 cm.)

Provenance:
Acquired in NY, July 7th, 1982 (original invoice available upon request)

Inscribed verso: thirteen lines of Sanskrit text in devanagari characters, the first two lines and beginning of the third line in red letters, black and red letters alternating in the final line

After Brahma rises from the navel of Vishnu, he goes on to create various gods and divine sages; then he creates Manu, the “progenitor of all men.”  Manu asks Brahma to pull the earth from the ocean so that he, his wife Satarupa, and his future family will all have a place to live. Brahma then goes to invoke his own creator, Vishnu, and almost immediately a tiny boar falls from his nose.

“While he (Brahma) was looking on, a great miracle took place: the small boar in the sky shot up to the size of an elephant in a moment. Along with the Brahmanas with Marici as their chief with Kumaras and with Man, he saw the boar form and began to think in various ways. “Is it the transcendental being appearing in the form of a boar? ‘What a miracle that it should come out of my nose! It appeared like the tip of a thumb and in a moment it became as big as a great boulder. Can this be the divine sacrifice (i.e. Vishnu) himself who is trying my mind to exhaustion (by concealing his real form)?’”

The master artist Manaku has brilliantly rendered against a bold yellow background, reminiscent of his earlier Gita Govinda series, this rare work illustrating the moment in which Brahma; pot of holy water and sacred text in hand- with four crowned heads and a superbly detailed grey beard, as well as Manu and his wife, look at the newly arrived boar “as big as a great boulder,” who has just revealed himself as the third incarnation of Vishnu: Varaha, the Boar Avatar.

The detailing is superb; from the rosetint edged petals of the lotus flowers in Varaha’s shimmering crown, as well as the one he clasps along with the other three ayudhas (the conch, discus, and mace), the text on the sutra Brahma grasps, the sensitive handling of the fingers on each figures hand, the way the divine jewels of the celestial beings glisten on their bodies while dhotis flow with a sense of movement, to Varaha, painted in shimmering blue. Individual and deep emotion are portrayed in each figures eyes. Enhanced by these fine details, it is the reigning stillness in the page that moves the most. Manaku’s mastery of spacial dynamics, detail, and vivid color. Nothing else is brought into the space of this leaf as the mysterious, esoteric dialogue between the created and the creator proceeds.

For other illustrations from this series see Goswamy, B. N., and Manaku. Manaku of Guler: the Life and Work of Another Great Indian Painter from a Small Hill State. Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2017, pgs. 146- 167, illustrations C45- C55.

The Kurma Avatar: Samudra Manthan (The Churning of the Ocean)
Folio from the Gita Govinda
Attributed to Manaku of Guler
India, Guler
c. 1735
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
8 x 12 in. (20.3 x 30.5 cm.)

Provenance:
From a Private New York Collection, acquired from a European dealer in the 1980’s
Frame label reads “From the collection of the Marquess of Tweeddale”

Inscribed verso: Three lines of Sanskrit text in devanagari characters, alternating black and red

Here, the second of the great Avatars, Kurma, the tortoise, is rendered, connected as he is with the great myth of the churning of the ocean. While Kurma supports on his back the cosmic mountain, Mandara (Meru), as the churning stick, and the awesome serpent, Vasuki, serves as the churning rope, the gods take up their position on the tail end of the serpent; the demons, as cleverly contrived by the gods, are on the side where the heads of Vasuki are so that they are constantly weakened by the poisonous fumes emitted by the great snake. The gods are led by Vishnu himself; behind him is Brahma, and finally Shiva. In this trinity, the painter makes a statement about all the gods assembled to perform this task necessary for the recovery of Amrita, the nectar of immortality, from the depths of the ocean; likewise, the host of the demons is condensed here into three rather comic-looking demons.

Vishnu is depicted three times in this work, once in the act of churning, a second time in his reptilian form as the tortoise, and then appearing a third time, seated atop the mountain on a lotus throne, four-armed, holding his familiar attributes. The lower part of the painting is occupied by water which is rendered in silver with delicate swirls and eddies; the background is a vibrant red and towards the top a blue horizon is visible.

A Remarkable closeness of “The Churning of the Ocean” at the Museum Rietberg, Zurich acc. No. RVI 1249, c. 1700, is attributed to the Master at the court of Raja Chattar Singh of Chamba. Manaku, an avid devotee and diligent scholar, certainly gathered inspiration from this earlier illustration which shows similar composition with Vasuki stretching into the paintings borders, and produced this piece with his own artistic style and genius. For another work of this subject by Manaku see Manaku of Guler, by B.N. Goswamy, images; G4- pg 361, and B173- pg 454.

The Legend of Samudra Manthan, “The Churning of the Ocean”, is associated with the curse of the sage Durvasa, who brought a fragrant garland for Indra, the king of the gods. Indra, in an inebriated state, hung the garland on the trunk of his elephant, Airavata, who trampled it under his feet as he was irritated by its smell. Seeing this, Durvasa flew into a rage and cursed Indra that he would lose all his splendour. As a consequence, Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and fortune disappeared from the abode of the gods and gloom descended upon earth. The gods led by Indra went to Vishnu for help. Vishnu explained that since Lakshmi had dissolved herself into the ocean of milk, she would have to be churned out.
The churning of the ocean could not be possible without the help of the asuras or demons. So the gods and the demons decided to put their differences aside and come together to churn the ocean in a diplomatic alliance in which they would share the nectar of immortality.

The churning of the Ocean of Milk was an elaborate process. Mount Mandarachal (Meru) was used as the churning rod, and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the churning rope. The demons (asuras) demanded to hold the head of the snake, while the demigods (devas), taking advice from Vishnu, agreed to hold its tail. As a result the demons were poisoned by fumes emitted by Vasuki. Despite this, the demigods and demons pulled back and forth on the snake’s body alternately, causing the mountain to rotate, which in turn churned the ocean. However, once the mountain was placed on the ocean, it began to sink. Vishnu in his second incarnation, in the form of a turtle Kurma, came to their rescue and supported the mountain on his back.

A Princess Enjoying Pan on a Terrace
India, Guler
c. 1790 – 1800
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
Folio: 8 3/8 x 9 1/8 in. (18.3 x 20.2 cm.)
Image: 7 x 7 3/8 in. (18.3 x 20.2 cm.)

Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd, London, 1985

Seated on an open white marble terrace before a blossoming tree and flanking cypresses, the princess strikes a ruler’s pose. She wears a courtly turban and sits on a large throne in a relaxed manner with one knee raised. Compare four pages with similar female figures and vegetation published in Archer, Indian Paintings in the Punjab Hills, London, 1973, p.118, nos.65-8.

Rama and Sita Enthroned
India, Guler 
c. 1830
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
Folio: 9 7/8 x 7 3/4 in. (25.1 x 19.6 cm.)
Image: 9 x 6 3/4 in. (23 x 17.2 cm.)

Provenance: Private European Collection 

This scene illustrates the Ramayana’s joyful culmination with Rama; the seventh incarnation of Vishnu, and Sita, upon a golden throne (gadi), supported by tiger-shaped legs within a pavilion. Before the auspicious couple Hanuman stands with a book opened in his hands; the monkey chief, who had assisted Rama in killing the demon king Ravana and recovering Sita.

The divine couple enthroned on a deep red Mughal-style carpet with floral motif surmounted by a parasol bedecked in jewels and made of gold. Above, tufts of fabric panel raised and tied in between concisely modeled arches. A host of onlookers and attendants watch from both behind and the foreground. Amongst the crowd Lakshmana is pictured bearing a fly whisk (chauri) and Jambavan; the king of the bear army.

Exceptional detail is given to the blooming tree stemming from behind Jambavan, with a creeping vine gracefully winding its way up the knots and texture of the trunk, leading the eye to the lush green leaves with flowers hanging ripe with density giving host to frolicking birds.

For an illustration of this subject see The San Diego Museum of Art, accession no. 1990.1283

Brahma on a Lotus
India, Guler
Mid 18th century
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
7 3/4 x 6 1/2 in. (19.6 x 16.5 cm.)

An Illustrated Folio from a Devi Mahatmya Series:
The Asuras Madhu and Kaitabha Attack Brahma
India, Guler 
c. 1765 
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
6 3/4 x 10 1/2 in. (17.1 x 26.7 cm.)

Provenance: 
The Estate of Dr. K. Aterman of Halifax, Canada thence by descent within the family. The collection of South Asian miniatures was acquired in London, England during the 1950s and 1960s, where Dr. Aterman worked and resided as a medical doctor.

Vishnu – Preserver of the Universe – serenely slumbering on the Serpent Ananta in the Cosmic Ocean. His attributes – the lotus, the conch, the mace and the chakra lying next to him at the ready. Brahma emerging from his navel. The asuras (demons) Madhu and Kaitabha approach aggressively – attacking the passive and helpless Brahma – who awakens the sleeping Vishnu with a plea for help. The asuras ultimately vanquished by Vishnu after an epic struggle lasting five thousand years.

For the next two consecutive folios from the same series see: Leach, L.Y. Indian Miniature Paintings and Drawings from the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, 1986, cat. 116, pps. 286-87. Pal, P., Court Paintings of India, New York, 1983, cat. no. 25-26, pps. 299-300. Also: Indian Miniature Paintings, Doris Wiener Gallery, New York, 1974 cat. 31.