Devotional Anthology: Song of the Lord (Bhagavad Gita) and other works, India, Kashmir, 17th -19th century, Carbon black ink and pigments on paper with textile covering, On loan from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, MSS 01106

Devotional Anthology: Song of the Lord (Bhagavad Gita) and other works, India, Kashmir, 17th -19th century, Carbon black ink and pigments on paper with textile covering, On loan from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, MSS 01106

The contents (Sanskrit text and Hindu iconography), materials (Islamic burnished paper and Indian textiles), and format (Islamic-style binding) of this manuscript containing the Hindu Bhagavad Gita all illuminate the fecund encounter of Persian and South Asian cultures in the valley of Kashmir. Poised for battle against his kinsmen, the prince Arjuna cannot go on. At this crucial moment, his chariot driver - the god Krishna in disguise - suddenly reveals himself as a manifestation of Vishnu, encompassing all gods and even the universe itself. Arjuna's princely dress and courtly posture are those of the Muslim Mughal court, while Krishna's unveiling draws upon Hindu concepts of the holy.

Dimensions: 15.5 x 12.0 x 5.7cm +11.3 for the flap

Material: Carbon black ink and pigments on paper, textile

Fisher MSS 01106

Kashmir

Photographer credit: Paul Armstrong (photographer), Jessica Lockhart (photographer), courtesy of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

17th to 19th century

Sanskrit

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Devotional Anthology: Song of the Lord (Bhagavad Gita) and other works