A Group of Seventeen Illustrations from a Devi Series

Acquired from the Royal Library of Mandi in 1969

Fairly good overall condition. Some abrasions to pigment on background color and folio borders of images. Some creases to images. All folio borders are red and all the works have inscriptions in Devanagari on the verso. All unframed.
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The present group of illustrations from the Puranic myth Devi Mahatmya, picture one of the numerous battles between the army of Goddesses or martrkas and the demon army. The tale personifies the struggle between good and evil in which the Great Goddess and her cohorts, who symbolize protection and beneficence, emerge victorious.

Here we see the Goddess Kaushiki, an emanation of Parvati, accompanied by Shiva, leading forth an array of shaktis or female forces against the demon army. In the pitched battle that ensues, the demons repeatedly challenge the Goddesses but are rebuffed. The fearsome Goddess Raktabija in particular thwarts each rally made by the demons. With the aid of her shaktis, Devi ultimately vanquishes the powerful demon generals Nishumbha and Shumbha and triumphs over the dark forces.

For other illustrations from the same series see Sotheby's New York, September 20, 2005, lot 124; September 19, 2006, lot 20; March 19, 2008, lot 203; and September 19, 2008, lot 248.