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The war-god Skanda, eastern India, 8th09th CE. Skanda is alwyas depicted as a young man; here he holds a spear and wears a tiger-claw necklace. His hair is divided into three strands, characteristic of boyhood. Skanda's vehicle is the peacock and the peacock's fan-tailed feathers cover the rear of the stone stele. OA 1872.7-1.66
#03060114

The war-god Skanda, eastern India, 8th09th CE. Skanda is alwyas depicted as a yo...

A pair of fragments of silk, 3rd - 5th CE. These two fragments might once have formed part of a banner headpiece. When discovered by Sir Aurel Stein (1862-1943), they were stitched together to form a larger triangle backed with plain silk and bordered with red tape. The distinctive motif of paired dragons and winged birds is unlike any other textile found there. OA MAS 926a,b.
#03060148

A pair of fragments of silk, 3rd - 5th CE. These two fragments might once have f...

Battle between Babhruvahana, son of Arjuna the archer in Hinduism, fights against the snakes of the nether regions. Peacocks and other birds attack the snakes, some of which are hooded cobras. The men stand in chariots or ride horses with decorated cparisons, some use bows and arrows. From the Persian version of the "Mahabharata", parvans XIV - XVIII. Authorship is traditionally ascribed to the sage Vyasa. ID: Or 12076
#030602 4

Battle between Babhruvahana, son of Arjuna the archer in Hinduism, fights agains...

The simurgh leading an army of birds, 1610. The sandpipers sit on their nest in the water while the simurgh leads the birds to their rescue. The simurgh is a mythical creature related to the roc and the phoenix. It lives for up to 2000 years and may even be immortal. It is said to have a nest in the Tree of Knowledge. From the "Anvar-i-suhail i" by Husain Va'iz Kashifi. ID: Add 18579,fol. f 104
#03060211

The simurgh leading an army of birds, 1610. The sandpipers sit on their nest in...

A man, Indian or Persian, scatters food for birds in a palace courtyard. Persian script below. ID: IO 4811
#03060228

A man, Indian or Persian, scatters food for birds in a palace courtyard. Persian...

A woman tries to pin down a snake with a long stick, while others watch. The woman in the centre is possibly an aristocrat or princess judging by her fine clothes. The older woman at right clasps her hands to her mouth in her anxiety. A cat moves stealthily towars the snake. ID: Add Or 7
#03060232

A woman tries to pin down a snake with a long stick, while others watch. The wom...

Kakubha Ragini and a number of peacocks, 1760. She may be playing a musical instrument. ID: J 37 21
#03060238

Kakubha Ragini and a number of peacocks, 1760. She may be playing a musical inst...

A man and a woman on a terrace, 1760. The woman sleeps, while her lover aims his arrow at a cockerel on the wall above. ID: Add Or 6
#03060242

A man and a woman on a terrace, 1760. The woman sleeps, while her lover aims his...

Guru Nanak and Mardana with King Shivanabh, after 1500. Baba Nanak (Guru Nanak) sits in the centre, holding prayer beads. His companion Mardana holds a mandolin. King Shivanabh kneels with hands together in a gesture of devotion, his attendant standing behind him with a fly-whisk. ID: MSS Panj B 40 fol.123
#03060244

Guru Nanak and Mardana with King Shivanabh, after 1500. Baba Nanak (Guru Nanak)...

The Moghul Emperor Babur (reigned 1526-1530) holding a hawk, 1800-1825. Babur was the founder of the Moghul empire in India. ID: Add Or 4379
#03060245

The Moghul Emperor Babur (reigned 1526-1530) holding a hawk, 1800-1825. Babur wa...

A night heron, 1635. From the Dara Shikoh Album. ID: Add Or 3129, fol. 9 verso
#03060263

A night heron, 1635. From the Dara Shikoh Album. ID: Add Or 3129, fol. 9 verso

Kestrel perched on a tree stump, around 1800. ID: nhd 1 fol. 32
#03060264

Kestrel perched on a tree stump, around 1800. ID: nhd 1 fol. 32