Overview

Animal Roles

The Real Thing

A Lonely Woman among Deer (Todi Ragini), c. 1725
India
Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver-colored paint on paper
17 x 9 9/16 inches (43.2 x 24.3 cm)
Purchased with the Katharine Levin Farrell Fund, 1977
1977-12-1
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Animals—from ants to owls, cranes to crocodiles—populate India's art. Rather than merely being part of the landscape, however, they almost always play specific roles whether as characters in a story, symbols, or poetic metaphors.

Fantastic and Functional Animals in Indian Art draws from the Museum's rich collection of "miniature" paintings to explore the many meanings of India's scaly, feathery, and furry inhabitants, both natural and supernatural.

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