Page 17 - Eye of the beholder

...The Devi then assumed her fierce murderous countenance. Himachal, the Lord of the Mountains granted a mighty Lion to ferry her. Vishnu bestowed oxn her his fabled weapon of choice - the Chakra. From Shiva came the spear. The Lord of Death gifted her his truncheon, and the Lord of Time his scabbard. Her radiant appearence came from the Moon, and the accoutrements of Archery from the Sun god himself.
Vishwakarma, adept at the skills of metallurgy among the Gods, fashioned her invincible armour. Brahma himself awarded his holy necklace and water pot. The bejeweled necklace was bequeathed by Kubera - the god of wealth.
Having decked the glorious Devi in their choicest decorations and armaments, all the celestials then pleaded with the fiercely beautiful goddess to proceed to vanquish the fierce demon Mahisasura!!
Markendeya Purana
Old and established families of Kolkata are the most common source of Early Bengal paintings. In many cases, these works have stayed in the same family for many generations through descent, before they come to the market.
This painting is also from one such family in Kolkata. It had been in the same family for generations, and was actually used as a religious icon for worship. It came to my collection directly from the original owners through a dealer sometime in 2013.
The painting had layers of dust and grime on it, giving it a dull and dark appearence. There was also a layer of vermillion (sindoor) on it which had accumulated as a result of years of ritual worship. Eventually, the painting was professionally cleaned by an eminent restorer, which gave it its present form.
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