© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University

ClassificationsAsian Art

Avatars of Vishnu: Matsya, the Fish

AAT Object Form/FunctionAvatara

AAT Object TechniqueGouache

Possible OriginIndia, Asia

CultureIndia

Datelate 18th-early 19th Century

MediumOpaque water color and ink on paper

Credit LineGift of Harshna and Pyush Patel

DimensionsImage: 7 × 12 in. (17.8 × 30.5 cm)

Object number2021.002.003A

Label TextVishnu, in his fish incarnation Matsya, emerges victorious from the ocean holding the four sacred Vedas which had been stolen by a demon and recovered after a vigorous battle. Instead of Vishnu’s usual attributes (mace, conch, lotus, discus), Matsya holds the Rig and Yajur Vedas in his right hands and the Sama and Atharva Vedas his left. The golden halo behind Matsya indicates his divine majesty. The grey water, the lush green valley, and the blue sky are characteristic of Pahari paintings from the foothills of the Himalayas. The painting is embedded in a manuscript of the Gautama Samhita, a Vaishnava ritual manual written in Sanskrit. While the text makes no reference to the Matsya narrative, it visually depicts him and other avatars (on reverse) to portray Vishnu’s role as a saviour of the world.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, August 28, 2021 - Present

ProvenanceEx coll. Pyush Patel, United States, purchased from Thomas Place Auction Galleries, Thomaston, Maine, February 29, 2020.

Status

On view

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