The goddess Devi praised by the god Brahma, folio from a Markandeya Purana

Object Details

• School/Tradition

  Pre-Mughal school

• Provenance

  At least 1938-1939

  Heeramaneck Galleries (active 1928-1964), New York, NY, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  From 1939

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Heeramaneck Galleries [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See letter from Nasli M. Heeramaneck to John E. Lodge, dated May 24, 1938, copy in object file. Nasli M. Heeramaneck’s letter states, “Prof. [W. Norman] Brown asked me to show you specifically the two Nepalese palm leaf paintings of Markandeyapurana of the 15th century [now F1939.35 and F1939.36].” See also the enclosed object list, F1939.35 and F1939.36 are described as, “2. Leaves from a Nepalese manuscript of Markandeyapurana of the 15th century with a painting on each leaf.”

  See also the untitled incoming receipt of objects owned by the Heeramaneck Galleries, undated (ca. 1938), copy in object file. The object was transferred from the Heeramaneck Galleries to the Freer Gallery of Art for acquisition consideration on May 23, 1938. F1939.35 and F1939.36 are described as, “2 pages from a palm leaf ms. [manuscript].”

  Heeramaneck Galleries in New York, NY owned and operated by Nasli M. (1902-1971) and Alice N. Heeramaneck (née Arvine) (1910-1993). The Heeramaneck’s were dealers and collectors of Pre-Columbian and Asian art. Nasli Heeramaneck began his career as a dealer in Paris during the 1920s and relocated to New York, NY in 1927. In 1939, Nasli married Alice Arvine, an American portrait painter from New Haven, CT. Nasli founded Heeramaneck Galleries in New York, NY by 1928. He began to retire in 1964 and liquidated some of the gallery’s stock at auction at Parke-Barnet, New York in 1964 and 1965. Many objects from the Heeramaneck collection were either purchased or donated to American museums. Items from their collection may be found in The British Museum; the Cleveland Museum of Art; Los Angeles County Museum; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; National Museum of New Delhi; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; and Yale University.

  [2] See object file for copy of the Heeramaneck Galleries invoice to Freer Gallery of Art, dated April 24, 1939, and marked approved on April 24, 1939.  F1939.35 and F1939.36 are described as “2 Illuminated pages from a palm leaf manuscript, Indian.”

  Research updated November 1, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Heeramaneck Galleries (active 1928-1964)

• Origin

  India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1500s, 1400s

• Name

  Heeramaneck Galleries

• Place

  India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Puranas, Art, Trident, Brahma? (Hindu deity), Devi (Hindu deity)

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings