The Descent of the Ganges

Object Details

• School/Tradition

  Kangra school

• Provenance

  To 1947

  Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877-1947), Colombo, Sri Lanka, London, England, and Needham, Massachusetts. [1]

  From 1947 to 1973

  Rama Coomaraswamy (1929-2006), Greenwich, Connecticut, ownership transferred after the death of his father, Ananda Coomaraswamy. [2]

  From 1973 to 2001

  Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), Beverly Hills, California, purchased from Rama Coomaraswamy in November 1973. [3]

  From 2001 to 2018

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim, Beverly Hills, California, by inheritance from Ralph Benkaim in 2001. [4]

  From 2018

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, partial gift and purchase from Catherine Glynn Benkaim. [5]

  Notes:

  [1] According to information from Catherine Glynn Benkaim.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See note 1.

  [4] See note 1.

  [5] See Acquisition Consideration Form, object file, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Manifestations of Shiva (March 29, 1981 to May 30, 1982)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Dr. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877-1947)

  Rama Coomaraswamy (1929-2006)

  Ralph and Catherine Benkaim

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim

• Origin

  Kangra, Himachal Pradesh state, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1800s, 1790s

• Name

  Coomaraswamy, Ananda K., Benkaim, Ralph and Catherine, Benkaim, Catherine Glynn, Coomaraswamy, Rama

• Place

  Kangra, Himachal Pradesh state, India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, Ganga, Shiva

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings