18th or 19th century
Matsya and Rama Avatars (outward-facing side); Shiva's Family in the Himalayas (inward-facing side)
Artist/maker unknownImage 1 of 21 / 2
Both sides of this wooden book cover are richly painted. The outward-facing side (distinguished by its beveled edges) depicts two of the ten avatars, or earthly incarnations, of the god Vishnu. On the left is Matsya (the fish), whose task was to destroy a conch demon terrorizing the primordial oceans; on the right is Rama, the heroic archer-king of the epic Ramayana. The reverse shows the god Shiva wandering and relaxing with his family in his Himalayan mountain homeland.
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