invertebrates

[Bob Hueckstedt]

Dan Ehnbom is the curator of the South Asia collection at the University 
of Virginia Museum. I told him about our discussion about this painting 
and asked him to comment. He sent me a better image of the painting, 
which I have posted to 
http://people.virginia.edu/~rah2k/SlayingofShankasura.jpg, and offered 
this comment:

<begin quote>
Here is a better picture of it.  Sankhasura is the demonic figure to the 
left of center at the bottom.  Because Indian art, as Coomaraswamy said, 
is an art of statement rather than description, he is not very 
conch-like, except perhaps for the blob-like form on his abdomen. 
Possibly this is the demon assuming his true form at the moment of his 
death.
<end quote>

Bob Hueckstedt

Valerie J Roebuck wrote:
> I can't see any conch-demon in this picture. The nearly central figure 
> in the water looks like a demon with an ass's head or similar, plunging 
> head first.
> 
> Valerie J Roebuck
> 
> At 12:57 pm -0800 23/1/09, Stefan Baums wrote:
>> Dear Valerie et al.,
>>
>>> The conch-demon is S'ankhaasura ... depicted in painted sets of 
>>> Avataras from the 18th-19th century, but I haven't got an example to 
>>> hand.
>>
>> here is an example from the University of Virginia Art Museum (second 
>> image from the top):
>>
>>
>> http://www.virginia.edu/artmuseum/collections_NEW/the_collections/Asian/India.html 
>>
>>
>> Unfortunately rather small, and I'm not sure I see the conch, unless 
>> it is the orange object floating in the river in the bottom left of 
>> the painting.
>>
>> All best,
>> Stefan
>>
>> -- 
>> Stefan Baums
>> Asian Languages and Literature
>> University of Washington