A DOUBLE-SIDED PAUBHA DEPICTING AGNI AND MAHESHVARI NEPAL, 17TH/18TH CENTURY |

one side of the paubha depicting a large figure of the red four-armed Agni wearing richly patterned dhoti and scarf, dancing on his vahana of blue and grey rams, with stylised rockwork base, and a curtain raised behind with scarves and jewelled hangings to each side; the reverse of the paubha depicting the white four-armed Mahesvari dressed in richly patterned skirt, scarf and blouse, dancing upon her vahana of recumbent oxen, on a stylised rockwork base, and a curtain raised behind with scarves and jewelled hangings to each side Himalayan Art Resources item no. 18359 and 18360.

Very good overall condition. Side 1: Durga. Creasing throughout. Minor losses. Losses in floral border. Hole in canvas nest to orange bull next to Durga, all visible in catalogue illustration. Side 2: Agni. Considerable loss to the border to left and right side of Agni's head. Creases and losses throughout. No inpainting detectable on either side.
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Compare a circa 1600 Nepalese double-sided Brahma paubha in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, see Pratapaditya Pal, The Arts of Nepal: Painting, Leiden, 1978, pl. 184. Boston has a number of paintings from the series, probably designed to depict the Astamatrika, the Eight Mother Goddesses, together with the Astadikapala, the Eight Directional Gods. The present fine and radiant example is likely to have been part of a similar series depicting the Astamatrika and Astadikapala and made to be suspended like flags high around a temple shrine, visible inside and out: the painting retains its original wood suspension rod above, while no provision is made for a weighted rod below, so the banner may hang free in space. The typical Newar palette remains as fresh and vibrant as any from this period of Kathmandu Valley painting.