Smithsonian Freer Gallery Sackler Gallery National Museum of Asian Art Gallery Guide to the Understanding South Asian Art
Introductionpage 1page 2page 3page 4 page 5 page 6 Sculpturepage 1page 2Paintingpage 1page 2page 3page 4
Although ancient literature confirms that wall paintings were a routine part of the decoration of monuments in early India, only fragments remain that date from the first century onward. Illustrated manuscripts on the long, narrow leaves of the palmyra palm survive from the eleventh century, and when paper was introduced a century later, artists retained the horizontal format of the palm leaf.
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F1987.4
Krishna Carried Off by the Whirlwind Demon, from a Bhagavata Purana (Book of the Lord)
India, Delhi–Agra , ca. 1520–30
Opaque watercolor on paper
18.4 x 23.9 cm (7 1/4 x 9 7/16 in.)
Purchase    F1987.4



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