Garuda subduing the Nagas

CultureNepal or Sikkhim

Datepossibly late 19th or early 20th century

MediumOpaque watercolor and shell gold paint on plain cotton cloth

DimensionsFramed: 28 3/8 × 17 1/8 × 1 1/8 inches (72.07 × 43.5 × 2.86 cm)

Credit LineGift of Esther Hope

Object number2026.5

On View

Not on view

Terms

DescriptionThis painting is vertical in format and depicts a large figure of Garuda, the eagle deity that is prominent in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Garuda is bejeweled and depicted in multiple colors—with a blue head, red chest and wings, white torso, and green legs. Garuda stands in the center of the composition with his wings outstretched, revealing human arms. He holds the slender green body of a captured naga (serpent) in his beak and hands. He stands on two intertwined serpent deities, which appear to be female (naginis), subduing them under his talons. The group are supported on a multi-colored lotus flower that rises from a blue lake. The paradisal setting is framed by green mountains and billowing clouds. The sun and moon observe the scene from a dark blue sky, above. Three lines of inscriptions in Devanagari script are written in red paint at the top of the composition. The back of the painting is bare, except for the inclusion of three Tibetan syllables written in red paint. This painting on cloth is a thangka, a hanging format that is commonly used in the creation of Himalayan religious paintings associated with Vajrayana and Newar Buddhism and the local Bon religions of Tibet. The painting is currently matted with a green silk-wrapped mat and framed. The original wood frame with Devanagari letters carved into the sides was donated to the museum with the painting.Provenance

Provenance

Purchased from Kitty Higgins, Far Eastern Art, Washington, D.C. by Esther Hope, 1987-1988;

Esther Hopes gift to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2025.

Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.