Jan 7, 2019
This picchwai, or painted backdrop, shows women and cows honoring their beloved, the Hindu deity Krishna, by offering him luscious food, fragrant flowers, and the gentle breeze from their fans. It once hung behind a sculpture of Krishna, considered by his devotees to be the living god. This work is now on view in gallery 229 through February 2019.
"Tree Shrine Hanging (Varsha Pichhwai)," 18th century, made in India (Gift of H. Peter Stern on the occasion of his marriage to Helen Williams Drutt English in 2007, and in memory of Stella Kramrisch)