Rahu Item Number: 3392/8 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
A watercolour which depicts a spiritual being with a snake-like head. The being has white skin and is wearing a brown skirt that ends just below the knee and curls outward at the hip. The bottom of the skirt has a border made up of white, yellow, blue, and brown horizontal stripes. The main body of the skirt is covered in thinner horizontal stripes, and consists of two pieces which come together in the front. A piece of fabric hangs down from the waistband, which is decorated with a repeating circular pattern. A striped sash is draped diagonally across the being's chest, and the end wraps around its shoulder to hang off of its forearm. Additional adornments wrap around the being's chest and neck, and decorative bands encircle its biceps, wrists, and ankles. The being's head is snake-like, with black and white scales, a cobra-like hood, and long neck. Its face is pointed, with human-like teeth. One of the being's arms is raised, and resting against the back of its head. The other is holding a white fish with human-like teeth. At the being's feet is a horse-like animal. The animal is white, with a long face, legs, and tail, and short mane. One of its back legs is lifted and bent. The painting's background is brown, and a rectangular black border surrounds the image. There is an unpainted section behind the being's head and shoulders.
The imagery is possibly associated with ritual healing in Sri Lanka. The set of watercolours (3392/3-34) is said to depict spirits that inhabit planets, or deviyo (minor gods) or rakshas and yakkas (evil or mischievous beings). These beings are often depicted in masked dances and exorcisms.
The collector, Dr. Michael Egan, wrote his doctoral thesis on healing rituals in Sri Lanka. His fieldwork was carried out in the south of Sri Lanka, in the village of Kadurupokuna (Hambantota District), between Sept. 1965 and Nov. 1966.
Rahu is one of the nine major celestial bodies (navagraha), a shadow entity, one that causes eclipses and is the king of meteors. In Hindu astrology Rahu represents materialism, mischief, fear, dissatisfaction, obsession and confusion.