Bhima takes Jarasandha by his feet and splits him apart

Details
Bhima takes Jarasandha by his feet and splits him apart
book X, ch.72, vv.45-6, from the Bhagavata Purana, gouache heightened with gold on paper, sectioned by white margins showing the two men wrestling, with captives of the dead king above waiting to be released, maroon, green or yellow ground, yellow and red border, numbered '76' in gold above, verso with sanskrit inscription - 7¾ x 14½in. (19.5 x 37cm.); and another scene probably from the same manuscript, showing the killing of demons, gold inscription above numbering the folio as 114(?) - 7¼ x 13½in. (18.4 x 34.4cm.), both Malwa, circa 1720 (2)

Lot Essay

These paintings are from a dispersed set of the Bhagavata Purana from Malwa dated to the late 17th or early 18th century. Another similar copy of the manuscript dated 1688 is in the Gopi Kanori collection.
10 leaves from the present manuscript are in the V&A and many others have been published.
Archer, W.G.: Central Indian Painting, 1958, pl.5, p.12
Poster, A.: Realms of Heroism, Indian Painting at the Brooklyn Museum, 1994, no.146, p.129
Archer and Binney: Rajput Miniatures from the Collection of Edwin Binney 3rd, Portland 1968, no.48
Pal, P.: The Classical Tradition in Rajput Painting, New York 1978, p.98, no.26
Sotheby's, Fine Indian and Persian Manuscripts and Miniatures, 12 December 1972, lots 69-78
Maggs Bros, Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures, February 1974, Bulletin no.6, nos 137-140

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