Manasa devi

Object Details

• Provenance

  Reportedly 1968-1992

  David R. Nalin and Richard J. Nalin (owned jointly), purchased by David R. Nalin in East Pakistan (modern-day Bangladesh) [1]

  From 1992

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of David Nalin [2]

  Notes:

  [1] David R. Nalin is an American physiologist who worked at the Cholera Research Hospital in Dhaka when it was part of Pakistan from 1967 until the Liberation War of 1971, and then again in 1972 after the creation

  of Bangladesh. Nalin reported that in August 1968, he jointly purchased the sculpture with his brother, Dr. Richard J. Nalin, see tax form 8283, December 3, 1992, copy in object file.

  David Nalin employed Peter Marks Works of Art to manage his collection and the pieces he owned with his brother. In 1989, Marks provided the Freer Gallery of Art with a "summary of acquisition, ownership, and history" relating to a sculpture now in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra (NGA89.1365), copy in object file. In the document, Marks instructed that the contents of the document should "apply to any object in the [Nalin] collection." The summary reports that in 1969, Nalin shipped his collection from Dacca to Chittagong then onto Karachi and finally onto New York. Nalin "assumed[d] that the customs agent[s] handled all clearances and declarations according to the laws and agreements in effect at the time."

  [2] See deed of gift, July 21, 1992, copy in accession file.

  Research completed November 15, 2022.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion (Friday, April 26, 1996 - Sunday, July 09, 2000)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Dr. Richard J. Nalin

  Dr. David R. Nalin

• Origin

  Bangladesh

• Credit Line

  Gift of Dr. David R. Nalin and Dr. Richard J. Nalin

• Type

  Sculpture

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  900s

• Name

  Nalin, Richard J., Nalin, David R.

• Place

  Bangladesh

• Topic

  Bronze, South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Sculpture, Snakes, Pala-Sena dynasty (750 - 1100), Metal-work, Devi (Hindu deity)

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians, Naga (South Asian people)

• Object Type

  Sculpture