Pichhavai (Primary Title)
Hanging (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
This opulent hanging was probably used to decorate the domestic altar or shrine of a member of the Pushtimarg, a Hindu sect founded by a teacher names Vallabha (1479-1531). This religious group emphasizes salvation by the grace of God, whose highest form, they believe, is Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Followers of Vallabha worship special icons of Krishna, which they adorn with sumptuous costumes and furnishings. This hanging likely served as a backdrop (pichhavai) for such an image, providing a sense of context for the deity that would have been positioned before its central axis. The hanging shows eight gopis or female cowherds, Krishna’s admirers, converging in a forested setting upon a central palm tree, their formation echoed below by six crows. The milkmaids carry musical instruments, offerings, fans, and other implements associated with Hindu worship.
Gift of Richard H. McDonald
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