A Nepalese illustrated folio from a manuscript of the Bhagavata Purana, depicting Kamsa seizing...

A Nepalese illustrated folio from a manuscript of the Bhagavata Purana, depicting Kamsa seizing Vasudeva and Devaki's daughter

19th Century

ink, gouache and gold on paper, 18.4 x 29.6 cm.

Provenance: Sigfred Taubert (1914-2008), Director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, 1958-1973.

尼泊爾十九世紀 《薄伽梵往世書》插畫

來源：Sigfred Taubert (1914–2008），法蘭克福書展總監，任職期間為1958年至1973年。

The inscription describing the scene is in Nepali, written in nagari script. The inscription verso is a note of some kind, probably referring to the order of the pages, with the number 11.

The Bhagavata Purana is one of Hinduism's eight main sacred texts, Puranas, and promotes devotion to Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu. In it, Kasma was the tyrant ruler of the Vrishni Kingdom, who had ascended the throne after killing his own father. He is variously described as a demon (asura) or a demon reborn in human form. 

A prophecy foretold that the eight child of his cousin Devaki and her husband Vasudeva would kill Kasma, therefore, after attempting to kill his own cousin, the evil ruler proceeded to imprison her and her husband and kill all of their children. He succeeded in killing the first six. The seventh escaped by transferring to the womb of Rohini, another of Vasudeva's wives. The eight son, Krishna, escaped through his divine means by putting the guards under a spell of slumber whilst his father delivered him to safety and swapped him with the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda. The girl was killed in Krishna's place by Kasma, who noted that the prophecy did not specify the gender of the child. After various adventures, Krishna ultimately slayed his uncle and delivered the land from his wickedness.

In this illustration the imprisoned Vasudeva and Devaki are seated on a bed, their hands raised to their faces in horror at the murder of the child before their eyes. Kamsa, the blue-skinned crowned figure in court dress appears twice, first grasping the child by their ankles and then on the right, killing her by bludgeoning her against a rock.