Archive for Muhammad
Lord Vishnu’s Miniature Footprints
Vishnu’s Footprints, 19th century,
Watercolor and gold, Lahore, Pakistan, 33.5 x 29 cm
(photo ‘C’2008 Liz Hager)
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Some additional notes:
1. It is possible that the pair of Footprints is seated on a throne, which is a Buddhist tradition. The throne or asana had eight sides – eight directions.
2. It is possible that a chatta – umbrella – above the pada, thus another Buddhist tradition was borrowed/adopted.
3. Is sprinkling of water going on? If so another Buddhist tradition.
4. In the case of the throne, it was adopted by Theravada Buddhists in Burma/Myanmar, to be used by the higher ranking monks.
5. The ‘objects’ beneath the throne remains me of death scenes of the Buddha in Old Bagan murals. Those scenes were not of the Theravada Buddhist tradition.
6. I wish to continue this study but due to poor eyesight and old age, I need a high quality digital to make a large print to study.
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In Indian culture, the foot is considered to be the vehicle of humble and base activities. Veneration of the foot of a respected person is the ultimate gesture of humility or devotion. In India reverence is expressed by touching the feet or taking dust from a teacher’s feet upon one’s head.
Among the Hindus, the tradition of vishnupada (the footprint of Vishnu) is an ancient belief supported by several myths. One, Vaya Purana, tells how Vishnu as a dwarf tricked the demon king Bali (Mahabali) into granting him three steps . He stepped over the whole universe, on the last crushed the demon. The Hindus most probably appropriated the custom from the Buddhists, as the footprints of Buddha have been a source of worship since antiquity . There are other myths of vishnupada – they vary in character and setting – but the Vaya Purana seems to me the most heroic.
Coincidentally, the Islamic faithful believe that whenever Muhammad trod on a rock his foot left an imprint , although this was not sanctioned by the orthodoxy . The Islamic veneration of feet has antecedents in both Judaism and Christianity . When Islam arrived in India under the Mughal rulers (beginning in the 16th century), the worship of footprints was already well established. Thus it was an easy matter for Muslims to continue their practice, and shrines for the Prophet’s footprint were built across the Northern provinces of Indian and in parts of contemporary Pakistan .
Began by the Persians, miniature painting reached full flower in India under the Mughal emperors between the 16th to 18th centuries. Some as small as a few inches in dimension, they accompanied manuscripts. Like the one above, miniatures typically display meticulous and detailed workmanship, warm and vibrant scheme of colours (the color of India herself) and a charming stylization that often eschewed perspective and natural accuracy. Miniatures embrace all manner of themes, religion and not, but generally depict a particular human activity or crucial mythic moment.
The print above is part of a 19th century collection of miniatures (in Berlin’s Ethnological Museum) about the everyday activities of the Hindu faithful – worship, leisure, playing Parcheesi . It seems to me the arabesque floral design around the edges and the gold owes something to Islamic tradition appropriated during Mughal times. It would be fitting if the symbols on the footprints reference reflexology, but I don’t know that for sure.
The city Gaya in eastern India is most associated with the vishnupada myth and the Vishnupada Temple there is said to mark the actual spot where the deity left his footprints on a rock when he defeated the demon. The footprints are set in a silver basis and are the chief object of worship in the Temple . This miniature would seem to reference the Gaya sport, if not actually, then metaphorically.

thanks for the link
Hels
http://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/treasures-in-attic-lost-adriaen-coorte.html

pip crane

Landscape, New Mexico

(1922-1923)

My name is Gabriel Kargieman, I am 56 years old and I am a visual artist and live in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

First of all, I wish to congratulate you for your work on Hannah Höch, whom I deeply admire.

I discovered her by chance, in a bookstore around 2004, and when I found a book with her works, I was absolutely shocked and subdued, as in previous years I had been working the same technique without having met Hannah before. From that fortuitous and happy encounter, I began to inquire about her life and work. Today, re-reading a book by Dietmar Elger, “Dada” published by Taschen and enjoying the works of Hannah, I went to my computer and looked once more some images of works of this little-big-artist-woman and I arrived in Venetian Red … just by chance … like that first encounter with Hannah …
I will be sending to your email some pictures of my works made in collage.

Thank you very much and best regards.

GK

I’ve read George Freart’s book “Leda’s Anemoi”, which goes into detail about the disappearance of the Michelangelo painting of Leda from Fontainebleau (it is historical fiction, though seems well researched). It starts with a very rational explanation of the origins of the Leda legend but overall, I found the book very poetic.