The Goddess Devi and Eight Mother Goddesses (Ashta Matrika) Approach Combat with Demons

ca. 1800

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About the Artwork

In this lively scene, a band of goddesses launches into battle against an army of demons, some of whom have already fallen. It illustrates an episode from the Devi Mahatmya, a devotional text about the heroic feats of Devi, the supreme Goddess in Hindu traditions.

Devi, riding her lion at middle-left, is accompanied by the Ashta Matrika (Sanskrit for "Eight Mothers"), a group of goddesses comprised of the fearsome, emaciated Chamunda and the female counterparts of seven male gods. Each matrika is considered the shakti, or divine energy, of her corresponding god. Seen here from top to bottom, they are: four-headed Brahmani, shakti of Brahma, riding a goose; blue-skinned Vaishnavi, shakti of Vishnu, riding the man-eagle Garuda; Aindri, shakti of Indra, riding an elephant; Maheshvari, shakti of Maheshvara (a name for the god Shiva), riding a bull; sow-faced Varahi (in front of the lion-mounted Devi), shakti of Varaha, the boar incarnation of Vishnu; lion-bodied Narasimhi, shakti of Narasimha, the man-lion incarnation of Vishnu; Chamunda, shakti of Goddess Devi herself; and six-headed Kaumari, shakti of Kumara (a name for the god Skanda), riding a peacock. The god Shiva, wearing an antelope skin, stands at lower left. In this narrative, he serves as the messenger of Chamunda, leader of the matrikas.

Title The Goddess Devi and Eight Mother Goddesses (Ashta Matrika) Approach Combat with Demons

Artwork Date ca. 1800

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. Indian

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. ----------

Medium Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions Image: 8 1/4 × 12 1/8 inches (21 × 30.8 cm) Sheet: 10 1/4 × 14 3/16 inches (26 × 36 cm)

Classification Paintings

Department Asian Art

Credit Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 69.425

Markings

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Provenance

Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel;
1969-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

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Exhibition History

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Published References

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

Indian, The Goddess Devi and Eight Mother Goddesses (Ashta Matrika) Approach Combat with Demons, ca. 1800, opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Leo S. Figiel and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Figiel, 69.425.