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Shield with scenes of hunting lions

Unidentified Artistc. 1800

Harvard Art Museums

Harvard Art Museums
Cambridge, United States

Four lions rendered in radiant gold paint move across this ceremonial Rajput shield. One male lion sits up and flexes its claws, while three others lunge upon a goat, a boar, and a winged monster (perhaps a chilin or an exaggeration of a crocodile). The artist paid close attention to details, depicting individual hairs, shading the petals of flowers, and painting the piercing eyes of both carnivores and their victims. The scenes of animal combat on this shield are set in a lush landscape, divided by trees and dense vegetation. Small animals and birds inhabit the entire surface, including the borders.

Lions are familiar symbols of royalty in India. Many royal houses bear the family name "Singh" (lion), and historical inscriptions often liken the power of a Hindu king to that of a lion, the animal lord of the wilderness. Thus, this luxurious shield not only highlights the talents of its artist but also symbolizes the strength of its royal patron. (label text from Sport of Kings exhibition January 2005).

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  • Title: Shield with scenes of hunting lions
  • Creator: Unidentified Artist
  • Creator Lifespan: 1/1
  • Date: c. 1800
  • Physical Dimensions: d7.8 cm
  • Credit Line: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift in gratitude to John Coolidge, Gift of Leslie Cheek, Jr., Anonymous Fund in memory of Henry Berg, Louise Haskell Daly, Alpheus Hyatt, Richard Norton Memorial Funds and through the generosity of Albert H. Gordon and Emily Rauh Pulitzer; formerly in the collection of Stuart Cary Welch, Jr.
  • Creation Place: Kota or Devgarh/Rajasthan/India/South Asia
  • Type: Armor
  • External Link: Harvard Art Museums
  • Medium: Water buffalo hide, opaque watercolor, lacquer, and gold with silver gilt bosses
Harvard Art Museums

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