Human-Animal Metamorphosis

Two figures are seen riding through the water in the foreground; the woman is nude save for an elaborate headdress, the man holds a tortoise shell as a shield and has an antler-like object on his head and has a serpent-like body which supports the woman. Behind is a minutely described landsape with walled town, castle, and along the opposite bank o the water, nude females swimming and a man running in alarm to the water's edge.
Albrecht Dürer
The Sea Monster
engraving on paper
9 7/8 x 7 3/8 in. (25.08 x 18.73 cm);22 1/8 x 18 1/8 in. (56.2 x 46.04 cm)
Museum Purchase
Indian
Ganesha
sandstone
12 in x 10 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in (30.48 cm x 26.67 cm x 11.43 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel
Venus and Cupid are seen sitting in a chariot pulled by two swans that are embraced by two putti. Behind is a landscape with towns and houses.
Giulio di Antonio Bonasone
Landscape with Venus and Cupid Riding on a Cart
etching and engraving on paper
10 ⅞ in x 16 in (27.62 cm x 40.64 cm);18 ⅛ in x 22 ⅛ in (46.04 cm x 56.2 cm)
Museum Purchase
Indian
Matsyavatara (Fish Avatar) of Vishnu
bronze
6 in x 3 3/8 in x 2 1/16 in (15.24 cm x 8.5 cm x 5.3 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel
Heinrich Aldegrever
The Labors of Hercules: The Lernean Hydra (one of the set of 13 prints)
engraving on paper
3 3/4 x 2 11/16 in. (9.4 x 6.8 cm);22 3/16 x 18 3/16 in. (56.2 x 46.04 cm)
Museum Purchase
This black and white print depicts an animated and detailed scene of nude figures and mythical beasts on the surface of the sea.Two men, with seaweed hair and riding half horse/half fish creatures, strike out at each other. A man and a woman ride a beast with a scaly body and the head of a fierce dog. In the background, a man holding a trident stands with his back to the viewer. Action and motion are expressed with billowing drapery, flowing hair and moving waves. The wide mouthed expressions of the figures and animals suggest yelling and noise in this chaotic scene. Among the many details depicted by the artist is a plaque held by the woman that has his initials.
Daniel Hopfer
Battle of the Sea Gods
etching on iron on medium, slightly textured light beige laid paper
6 1/4 in. x 9 1/16 in. ( 15.8 cm x 23.02 cm )
Museum Purchase
Heinrich Aldegrever
Devils Taking the Rich Man to Hell, No. 4 from the Series of 5 Prints "Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus"
engraving on paper
3 3/16 in x 4 ¼ in (8.1 cm x 10.8 cm);19 in x 14 in (48.26 cm x 35.56 cm)
Museum Purchase
Heinrich Aldegrever
The Labors of Hercules: Nessus and Deianira (one of the set of 13 prints)
engraving on paper
3 3/4 x 2 11/16 in. (9.4 x 6.8 cm);22 3/16 x 18 3/16 in. (56.2 x 46.04 cm)
Museum Purchase
Indian
Four-armed Ganesha seated in the posture of Royal Ease
bronze
2 13/16 in x 2 1/8 in x 1 1/4 in (7.2 cm x 5.4 cm x 3.2 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel
Ganesha is shown here seated on a double lotus throne, in a royal posture with the soles of his feet together. He has four arms, and holds two of his attributes in the rear pair: an ax and a rosary.  His trunk curls down across his rotund belly to reach for a bowl of sweets that rests in his left forward arm.  The cobra slung across his shoulder, now hard to make out because of the centuries of wear of the stone, indicates Ganesha's lineage as the son of the Shiva, in his aspect as the great ascetic. Almost 27 inches high, this sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha is carved of andesite, a volcanic stone common to the island of Java in Indonesia. Andesite is a soft stone and erodes easily, which is why the carving is no longer crisp.
Indonesian
Ganesha, seated on a double lotus throne
andesite (volcanic stone)
27 9/16 in x 13 3/4 in x 11 5/8 in (70.01 cm x 34.92 cm x 29.53 cm);27 9/16 in x 13 3/4 in x 11 5/8 in (70.01 cm x 34.92 cm x 29.53 cm)
Museum Purchase
Hanuman stands on a tiered base, which starts square and sloped, then is square and straight up and then round sloped and ringed.  He has a human body and a monkey’s head.  He stands in an unbending stance with his hands in anjali mudra, held up to his chest with palms together in a prayer gesture.  He wears a diaphanous garment from the waist down with only the edged decorated and depicted with a series of belts and sashes hanging in front of it.  He wears a number of necklaces and armlets.  His face is very worn and far less realistic than the body with the large round eyes incised with eyebrows above and a large circle on his forehead. His mouth is a simple slit.  <br />
Indian
Hanuman
bronze
5 5/16 in x 2 in x 2 in (13.5 cm x 5.08 cm x 5 cm);5 5/16 in x 2 in x 2 in (13.5 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel
An eight armed goddess sits astride a tiger with uplifted tail.  She carries a noose, punch dagger, shankha, and trident in her right hands and a bow, ring-like discus, arrow and shield in her left arms.  She wears a long garland of either large rudraksa or heads around her heck along with other necklaces and pendants.  She sits with legs pendant wearing a long skirt.  Behind the figure a Om symbol with the end of the letter twirled around it twice and the word Shri written in Devanagari script.  Below the figure a grid of letters forms a sacred diagram.  The lines forming the grid all end in trident forms.  Each square of the grid houses a different letter in nagari.<br />
Indian
Durga Copper Plate
copper
9 3/8 in x 5 13/16 in (23.8 cm x 14.8 cm);9 3/8 in x 5 13/16 in (23.8 cm x 14.8 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel.

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Animal studies — by seth@whirl-i-gig.com (February 13 2017 @ 12:30 pm)
Animals — by seth@whirl-i-gig.com (February 13 2017 @ 12:30 pm)
Comparative — by seth@whirl-i-gig.com (February 13 2017 @ 12:30 pm)
Creatures — by seth@whirl-i-gig.com (February 13 2017 @ 12:30 pm)
Humanity and humanness — by seth@whirl-i-gig.com (February 13 2017 @ 12:30 pm)
Mythology — by seth@whirl-i-gig.com (February 13 2017 @ 12:30 pm)
Visual and literary themes — by seth@whirl-i-gig.com (February 13 2017 @ 12:30 pm)
Visual narrative — by seth@whirl-i-gig.com (February 13 2017 @ 12:30 pm)

Part of 6 Learning Collections

American Orientalist art at the turn of the 20th century
<p>America Encounters Asia in Art</p>

63 Collection Object Sources

The Sea Monster (1956/1.74)
Ganesha (1981/1.317)
Hanuman (1976/2.53)
Garuda (1979/2.28)
Tomb Guardian (2004/2.132.1)
Puppy Nose Lady (2013/1.291)
The Birdlover (1952/2.14)
Proverbios (2008/1.153.13)
Proverbios (2008/1.153.5)
You will not escape (2008/1.152.72)
Bedtime Story (2009/1.484)
Ah Puch (1958/1.102)

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Last Updated

April 7, 2020 6:59 p.m.

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