Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 6. (Budapest, 1963)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM - MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Tóth, Edit: Water-Pots with Gujarati Inscriptions in the Museum

Fig. 2. Scene of the Rämävatära on water-pot Fig. 1. same as on lota Nr. 1 of Majmudar (Fig. 2). Below the woven ring we see a line of short vertical grooves, under these a row of quarters of a circle. On the ribbon with figurai decoration the sitting figure of Ganesa occurs four times, rising from a punched background, followed by the sitting figures of Siva and a god, and finally a Ungarn under a shade and the bull of Siva, Nandi in front of it, to close the line. There is an interesting difference between this specimen and the other ones of our collection, and also from the lota published in M. R. Majmudar's study: on this vessel the water, pouring down from the top of the lota and flowing into the sea depicted at the bottom, does not originate from the head of the Siva figure of the third field only but also from the Siva-lingam visible in the lower row, gushing into the sea in a double stream. This way of representation alludes to Siva's re-creative „fertility" character, giving a special emphasis to the symbols represented by the lota: a water-pot — a vessel of plenty — immortality. The indented and punched geometrical line is followed by an inscription executed with a primitive stab-and-drag technique, repeating the mantra-line Om Rama jaya (Hail to Rama) several times. The second row of figures contains a sitting god, in front of him a female figure with joined hands in a saluting position, then four Ungarns, Visnu's incarnation as a boar, another Ungarn, the four-armed portrait of Visnu, finally three lingam-s. In front of the last one the kneeling Hanumän is seen, possibly referring to the legend on the origin of Rämesvara temple.

5 The second row is closed by symbolic designs, a portrait of Ganesa and depicted twice the picture of a Ungarn. The third row is divided into 12 fields. Ten of them contain the ten incarnations of Visnu (Dasävatära), two the pictures of Siva and Ganesa. The Rämävatära differs from the epecimen preserved in the Baroda Museum in that only Hanumän, Sita and Räma are depicted in the chariot (Fig. 3).

6 In the fourth row the field is filled by symbolic, geometrical signs, lingam-s and Nandi'

s picture. Very little room was left for the usual representation of the sea in the last row, thus water forms the closing lower line of the former field together with some schematically drawn lotuses and a tortoise lying under the mass of water pouring down ; the animal is simplified almost to the extent of becoming a symbol. The design shows all the characteristics which M. R. Majmudar attributed to the style of the artists active in the 16th century: the Mogul turban, the dupattä placed on the shoulders in the shape of a cross, the cüdtdar jämä covering the body till the knees.

7 The typical headdress of the female figures and the mukuta, the headdress of the gods, are also similar. The characteristics