2022
Archival Giclée Print on Hahnemühle Paper
40 x 30 cm / 308gsm / 400 dpi



A drawing of Goddess Kālī who in the Krama tradition comprises a sequence of twelve.

Textual source:
“These Kālīs are red and are located on a lotus of twelve petals. They are dark blue like the petals of a blue night lotus. They have four arms and bear a wish- bestowing gesture, trident, lotus and a skull bowl. They are rays of the Kālī in the centre and their neck is adorned with a garland of severed heads. Emaciated, they wear tiaras of seven skulls. Their reddish brown hair is tied up in a knot by snakes and is adorned with a half-moon as its crest jewel. Their anklets bear Kaula heroes as their bells and, their body adorned with a network of little bells, they have three eyes, wear tiger skins and are mounted on white corpses. One should know that such is the form of the goddesses of the gods everywhere beginning with the goddesses in the locations of the sacred seats right up to those populating the process of withdrawal.”
~ Kālīkulapañcakramakramārcana

Acknowledgments:
A drawing of a sculpture that conjoins to form a mandala of thirteen Kālīs, created following the description from the Kālīkulapañcakramakramārcana (trans. Mark Dyczkowski). The iconographic style is based on that of medieval bronze mūrtis from Kashmir. An overview of the bronzes was made possible by Jeff Watt at Himalayan Art Resources who has catalogued a vast array of artworks based on region. The analysis was supplemented by [Pratapaditya Pal, “Bronzes of Kashmir” Journal of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufacturers and Commerce, October 1973 (London: RSA)]. One bronze in particular was used as a reference for the individual Kālīs and Kṛśodarī - [Kashmira, 10th Century, copper alloy sculpture with inlays of silver, 3/4 × 5 × 2 in., Rubin Museum of Art, New York]. Additional iconographic elements were inspired by [Chamunda, Nepal, 14^th Century, copper sculpture, 8 x 8 1/4 x 4 in., LACMA, Los Angeles].