Vishnu as Matsya

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Not on display

Artist/Maker	Unknown
Place of origin	Rajasthan (made) Jaipur (made)

Painting in opaque watercolour on paper, Matsya avatar, the fish (first) incarnation of Vishnu, is shown as the four-armed, blue-skinned god emerging from a fish's body. He is grabbing the demon Hayagriva by the hair, who is issuing from a white shell.

Object details

Categories	Paintings Hinduism Religion Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project
Object type	Painting
Title	Vishnu as Matsya (generic title)
Materials and techniques	Painted in opaque watercolour on paper Paint Opaque Watercolour Paper Painted
Brief description	Painting, Matsya (fish) avatar of Vishnu, opaque watercolour on paper, Rajasthan. possibly Jaipur, mid 19th century
Physical description	Painting in opaque watercolour on paper, Matsya avatar, the fish (first) incarnation of Vishnu, is shown as the four-armed, blue-skinned god emerging from a fish's body. He is grabbing the demon Hayagriva by the hair, who is issuing from a white shell.
Dimensions	Height: 216mm Width: 157mm Image within innermost painted borders height: 164mm Image within innermost painted borders width: 116mm 29/05/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project 2013.
Content description	Matsya avatar, the fish (first) incarnation of Vishnu, is shown as the four-armed, blue-skinned god emerging from a fish's body. He is grabbing the demon Hayagriva by the hair.
Style	Rajasthani
Marks and inscriptions	'Malsya Avatara' (handwritten in border)
Credit line	Bequeathed by Mrs. Grace S. Anderson in memory of her husband John Anderson, M. D., C. E. O., F. R. S.
Subjects depicted	Fish Deity Demon Shell Vishnu Hayagriva Matsya
Collection	South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number	IM.25-1917

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Record created	July 25, 2003
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O82733/vishnu-as-matsya-painting-unknown/

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