Antique/Vintage Framed Glass Painting of a Peacock, India (3982MCE) $395

Description

Peacocks have a long and glorious history in India. They are part of Hindu epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata and the Rigveda, India’s oldest sacred Sanskrit text from 1,500 B.C. A Sanskrit verse claims “The gorgeous peacock is the glory of God.” Peacocks are intertwined with many Hindu deities: they are the vehicles (vahana) of Kartikeya the Hindu god of war, and Saraswathi, the goddess of wisdom and music; when Indra the god of rain, thunder, and lightning, fought the demon-king Rayana, a peacock raised its tail as a protective shield and was rewarded with splendid blue-green feathers. Peacocks were so enchanted by Krishna’s flute-playing they laid their feathers before him, and he pledged to wear them in his crown forever. The peacock is also considered to be sacred in Buddhism, as legend states that the Buddha was a golden peacock in a previous birth. They are omnipresent in Indian art and monuments and have been proclaimed the national bird of India, a country enthralled with vibrant colors and patterns.  Peacocks are one of the most popular motifs for rangoli (ornate round floor art designs made of colored sand, flour or flower petals for the Hindu fall festival Diwali to welcome Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, into households. This framed glass painting of a Peacock was once inset as a front panel along with the glass Krishna Playing his Flute panel (3983MCE) in a highly decorative antique Indian cabinet or chest. Painted in rich colors  highlighted with shining reflective silver accents, it is  framed in a vintage style frame with gold accents to emphasize its dramatic folk art  appeal.

Click to view the VA Instagram post on the Peacock Glass Panel.