Vishnu's Incarnation as a Fish (Matsya Avatar) マツヤ（魚）に化身したヴィシュヌ（マツヤ・アヴァターラ）マツヤ（さかな）にけしんしたヴィシュヌ（マツヤ・アヴァターラ）

Description

A genre of paintings known as miniatures has developed in India, with pieces featuring various themes such as Indian myths, Hindu gods such as Shiva and Vishnu, portraits of kings, historical episodes, and love stories. Elements such as the styles and colors used for depicting people and the layout of the pieces are different depending on the region of origin, and there is a huge variety in types of these paintings.

This piece has been done in the style of Bikanel, which is located in the Rajasthan region in North-West India. In the Hindu religion, it is said that the god Vishnu changes his appearance when he appears in the world each day, to help protect good fortune and get rid of the bad. These forms are called his avatars. Vishnu can change into 10 different shapes, including a fish, turtle, boar, or Narasimha (lion-man). The form of Vishnu transformed into a fish is called the Matsya (or fish) Avatar.

The Matsya Avatar is often depicted either with an appearance similar to that of a mermaid, with the upper body of Vishnu and the lower body of a fish, or as a giant fish. In this piece, however, the upper body of Vishnu is seen leaping from the mouth of a fish.