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The central deities in this painting wear skirt styles distinctive of the Malla period. Festive red makeup colors the palms of the figures' hands and feet, and the foreheads of all the women display red tika powders that distinguish married Newar women even today. In the golden torana framing the painting's central couple, the lotus pillars support an ornate foliate arch topped by the red face of a mythical lion-bird, defining an auspicious space. The colorful checkerboard patterns that edge the torana columns are also a stylistic feature of the Malla period. Moreover, the painting's inscription provides the year in which it was made. Click here to view full image (1246 × 2100 pixels, 799 KB) all text & images © The Philadelphia Museum of Art |
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