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A Woman Charms Snakes in the Wilderness: Asavari Ragini, from a Ragamala
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Wearing a blouse and skirt made of leaves, the heroine retains her jewelry and diaphanous veil. She speaks to a snake, and others approach, charmed by her beauty. The multiple colors used for the rocks add to the otherworldly quality of the scene, and even they seem drawn to her spiritual magnetism.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineA Woman Charms Snakes in the Wilderness: Asavari Ragini, from a Ragamala, early 1700s. Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Sirohi. Gum tempera and gold on paper; page: 22.2 x 16.5 cm (8 3/4 x 6 1/2 in.); miniature: 18.4 x 13.3 cm (7 1/4 x 5 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2018.199
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