Ring with Cat and Kittens
Period:Ramesside/Third Intermediate Period
Date:ca. 1295–664 B.C.
Geography:From Egypt
Medium:Faience
the met
This is a glass ”murrine“ made by artist Loren Stump. Each color in the piece was carefully layered to create this “loaf” which was then sliced. Each slice sold for $5000.
ORIGIN OF KALI
There are myriad traditions of how Kali came into existence. One version relates when the warrior goddess Durga, having ten arms, each equipped with a weapon and who rode a lion or a tiger in battle, fought with Mahishasura (or Mahisa), the buffalo demon. Durga became so enraged that her anger burst from her forehead in the form of Kali.
Once born, the black goddess went wild and consumed all the demons she came across, stringing their heads on a chain which she wore around her neck. It seemed impossible to calm Kali’s bloody thrashings, which now extended to any wrongdoers, and both people and gods were at a loss what to do. Fortunately, supreme Shiva stopped Kali’s destructive rampage by lying down in her path, and when the goddess realized just who she was standing on, she finally calmed down. From this story is explained Kali’s association with battlegrounds and areas where cremations are performed.
In another version of the goddess’ birth, Kali appeared when Parvati shed her dark skin which then became Kali, hence one of her names is Kaushika (the Sheath), whilst Parvati is left as Gauri (the Fair One). This story emphasizes Kali’s black aura which is symbolic of eternal darkness and which has the potential to both destroy and to create.
In a third rendition, men and gods were being terrorized by Daruka who could only be killed by a woman, and Parvati was asked by the gods to deal with the troublesome demon. She responded by jumping down Shiva’s throat. This was because many years previously Shiva had swallowed halahala, the poison which had risen from the churning of the ocean during the creation and which had threatened to pollute the world. By combining with the poison still held in Shiva’s throat, Parvati was transformed into Kali. Leaping from Shiva’s throat in her new guise, Kali swiftly defeated Daruka and all was well with the world once more.
By K.Nagori
