invertebrates

[jkirk]

Thanks for posting this version of the painting--I completely
missed the action in the previous more blurry version.
Joanna K. 


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
/Asi
>> an/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