Honors 291: Great Books Self-Guided Tour

This intricate stele has a large Varaha in the center.  He is in the archer’s stance, with his right leg extended and his left leg bent resting on a lotus held up by a male and female snake figures. They have human bodies from the waist up and knotted snake bodies below.  Varaha has a human body with the head of a boar, his head thrown back supporting the figure of the earth goddess who holds on to his snout.  A lotus leaf acts as an umbrella over his head.  Three of his four arms are intact with his right one at his hip holding a broken lotus, only the stem survives, and the two left hands holding a conch at his chest and a discus at his knee.  The broken arm held the club and the top of it is still visible next to the pavilion on the left over his shoulder.  Besides the two snake figures, three figures stand on the base to either side, the other one female, while the others are male.  The inner two hold the conch and discus and can be considered shankhapurausha and cakrapurusha, the personifications of the
Indian
Vishnu as Varaha, the Cosmic Boar
sandstone
22 7/16 in x 18 5/16 in x 6 1/2 in (57 cm x 46.5 cm x 16.5 cm);22 7/16 in x 18 5/16 in x 6 1/2 in (57 cm x 46.5 cm x 16.5 cm)
Museum Purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
Vishnu stand in a strict unbending pose, samabhanga and has four hands.  Reading clockwise from the front right hand, he holds lotus, a club, a discus and a conch.  The lotus and conch are also personified with full standing figures at the base below his tow front hands, the lotus as a female figure to his right and the conch as a male figure to his left.  On the pointed arch behind the figure a flying figure holding garlands is carved in shallow relief to either side of his crown. He wears a diaphanous lower cloth, the folds of the garment are articulated with a flared section down the center.  He wears a long garland down to his knees, a sacred thread and various pieces of jewelry, including bracelets, armlets, a necklace and large earrings and an elaborate crown.<br />
Indian
Vishnu Stele, four-armed Vishnu with two of his attributes personified
black schist
50 15/16 in x 24 in x 11 1/4 in (129.4 cm x 60.96 cm x 28.58 cm);50 15/16 in x 24 in x 11 1/4 in (129.4 cm x 60.96 cm x 28.58 cm);6 5/16 in (16 cm);8 in x 25 in x 15 in (20.32 cm x 63.5 cm x 38.1 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
Wang Hui
Autumn Colors at Mount Yu
ink and color on silk
15 1/2 in. x 8 ft. 1 1/16 in. (39.35 x 246.4 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
Wang Yuanqi (Wang Yüan-chöi)
Landscape in the Style of Huang Gongwang
hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
41 15/16 x 22 5/8 in. (106.5 x 57.4 cm)
Museum Purchase
An earthenware figure of a zoomorphic form consisting of a lion-like body with strong hoofed feet, wings, horns, and a dragon-like face bearing teeth in its open mouth. It is seated on a rock-like base, and covered in amber, green, and cream runny glazes. One of a pair with 2004/2.132.2.
Chinese
Tomb Guardian
glaze on earthenware
27 9/16 in x 9 1/2 in x 2 3/16 in (70.01 cm x 24.13 cm x 5.56 cm)
Gift of Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur in memory of Mrs. Wei-Djen D. Lo
An earthenware figure of an anthropomorphic form consisting of a lion-like body with strong hoofed feet, wings, and a human face with central flame-like horns and large, furry and pointed ears. It is seated on a rock-like base, and except for the head it is covered in amber, green, and cream runny glazes. One of a pair with 2004/2.132.1.
Chinese
Tomb Guardian
glaze and mineral pigment on earthenware
28 9/16 in x 9 5/16 in x 11 5/16 in (72.55 cm x 23.65 cm x 28.73 cm)
Gift of Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur in memory of Mrs. Wei-Djen D. Lo
Rubbing of limestone slab carved bas-relief with six registers.  The lower register depicts a chariot procession above fish-inhabited waters.  The central three registers depict figures carrying out funerary rites.  The top register shows a winged creature with a human face flanked by two writhing dragons and other animals, including two rabbits and a nine-tailed fox. <br />
Bo Yang
Rubbing of Journey of the Soul to the Paradise of the Queen Mother of the West (2000/2.1) - Front
ink on paper
37 7/8 in. x 39 13/16 in. ( 96.2 cm x 101.1 cm )
Museum purchase made possible by the Katherine Tuck Enrichment Fund
This Persian miniature is attributed to the Shiraz and Timurid schools, ca. 1460. The painting is done in ink, opaque watercolor and gold leaf on paper. The scene, <em>The Death of Dara</em>, is part of the Shahnama of Firdausi, the Persian book of kings. 
Iranian
The Death of Dara, from the Shahnama of Firdausi
ink, opaque watercolor, and gold leaf on paper
10 1/2 in. x 7 in. ( 26.7 cm x 17.8 cm )
Museum Purchase
This Persian miniature is attributed to the Shiraz and Timurid schools, ca. 1460. The painting is done in ink, opaque watercolor and gold leaf on paper. The scene, <em>Siyavush Displays His Prowess before Afrasiyab</em>, is part of the Shahnama of Firdausi, the Persian book of kings. 
Iranian
Siyavush Displays His Prowess before Afrasiyab, from the Shahnama of Firdausi (The "Kervorkian Shahnama")
ink, opaque watercolor, and gold leaf on paper
10 1/2 in. x 7 1/16 in. ( 26.7 cm x 18 cm )
Museum purchase
The four-armed Durga sits on a stylized crouching lion with her right leg pendant and the left one across her body.  Her front right hand extends down with palm outwards in a boon giving gesture while the back right hand holds a sword.  Her left font hand holds a fruit or flower bud while her back left hand holds a shield. The whole is simply carved with rather subdued jewelry, but she does wear necklaces, bracelets, armlets and loose anklets as well as large circular earrings and a diadem across her forehead.  Her hair is arranged behind the diadem. The stele is subtly pointed and its only decoration is a band along the outside, although a throne is suggested at her knees.  A highly stylized lotus supports her right foot at the base.<br />
Indian
Durga on her lion mount
stone
21 7/8 in x 12 3/4 in x 4 3/4 in (55.56 cm x 32.39 cm x 12.07 cm);21 7/8 in x 12 3/4 in x 4 3/4 in (55.56 cm x 32.39 cm x 12.07 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel
A fragment of a stucco relief sculpture.
Artist Unknown, Gandhara (Ancient Pakistan and Afghanistan)
Buddha, seated in the padmasana pose, in dhyana mudra, attended by Indra
stucco relief with traces of polychromy
10 1/4 in. x 9 5/8 in. x 3 3/4 in. ( 26 cm x 24.5 cm x 9.5 cm )
Museum purchase for the James Marshall Plumer Memorial Collection
Shiva stands in an unbending pose and the sculpture is broken just below the knees.  He is two-armed and his right hand is raised with his palm outward.  His left arm is broken away.  He wears a short lower garment with incised lines delineating folds and he is ithyphallic, his upraised penis extending up from behind his belt.  He wears simple jewelry, a belt, armlets, a bracelet on the one wrist still extant and a simple beaded necklace.  There is an auspicious diamond pattern in the middle of his chest.  He has a fleshy face with a full mouth and large eyes, a third eye is incised on his forehead.  His hair is done in an elaborate coiffure piled high.  <br />
Indian
Standing figure of Shiva
sandstone
16 1/8 in x 8 13/16 in x 3 9/16 in (41 cm x 22.4 cm x 9 cm);16 1/8 in x 8 13/16 in x 3 9/16 in (41 cm x 22.4 cm x 9 cm)
Gift of Mark and Iuliana Phillips

These works will be included in a series of self-guided tours for all sections of Honors 291: Great Books. 

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28 Collection Object Sources

Tomb Guardian (2004/2.132.1)
Tomb Guardian (2004/2.132.2)
Varahi (1960/1.113)
Shiva as Bhairava (2001/2.131)

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October 24, 2018 12:59 p.m.

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