Goddess Kali

The Hindu goddess Kali is one embodiment of shakti, divine feminine power. She is an aspect of Parvati, who in turn is consort to Shiva. Kali is both bloodthirsty and fertile pictured here as a beautiful, terrifying young woman with flowing hair. She wears a necklace of the heads of her victims and wields a bloody sword. She treads atop the corpse of Shivan. This print highlights the rise of lithography as a relatively inexpensive technology that enabled the development of mass visual culture in India. The print is from Kolkata in current-day West Bengal. In 19th century Kolkata, a vibrant press helped cultivate anti-British resistance. Images like this combined the importance of goddess worship in Bengal with incipient nationalism.