Asavari Ragini
Painting
late 18th century (made)
late 18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, the beautiful Asavari, a girl of the Bhil tribe, is clad in a peacock-feathered skirt surrounded by numerous serpents. She is seated stroking a snake, contact with the cooling trunk of the snake relieves the passion she feels for her lover. Snakes approach her as she entices them from the sandalwood trees. This ragamala illustration depicts the iconography of the musical mode Asavari Ragini, typically shown with a tribal woman among snakes. Asavari is the name drawn from the ancient tribe of the Savaras, believed to be snake charmers.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Asavari Ragini (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Painting; Ragamala, Asavari Ragini, snake charmer, Hyderabad, late 18th century |
| Physical description | Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, the beautiful Asavari, a girl of the Bhil tribe, is clad in a peacock-feathered skirt surrounded by numerous serpents. She is seated stroking a snake, contact with the cooling trunk of the snake relieves the passion she feels for her lover. Snakes approach her as she entices them from the sandalwood trees. This ragamala illustration depicts the iconography of the musical mode Asavari Ragini, typically shown with a tribal woman among snakes. Asavari is the name drawn from the ancient tribe of the Savaras, believed to be snake charmers. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | The beautiful Asavari, a girl of the Bhil tribe, is clad in a peacock-feathered skirt surrounded by numerous serpents. She is seated stroking a snake, contact with the cooling trunk of the snake relieves the passion she feels for her lover. Snakes approach her as she entices them from the sandalwood trees. |
| Styles | |
| Object history | A Ragamala ('garland of ragas') is an illustration depicting poems that describe in words the feelings evoked by ragas, or musical notes, sequentially arranged to convey a particular mood, especially love. Thus, the arts of music, poetry and painting are fused together to create a ragamala painting. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.232-1950 |
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| Record created | December 2, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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