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Monochrome engraving showing four scenes in separate borders. In the first scene, subtitled "First Incarnation | Premiere Incarnation", a four-armed figure in a crown rises out of the mouth of a fish that stands on its tail. In his hands are a conch, a sword, a ring, and a book. Floating in the air to his left is a four-headed, four-armed figure seated on a cushion shaped like a lotus. All of his heads are bearded and he wears a large crown that covers all of them. In his hands are a book, a conch, a strand of beads, and one of the strands of beads around his neck. On the ground lies a beheaded creature with a body similar to a shell and a head with horns. Behind this stand four figures facing right, their hands clasped in prayer.
In the second panel, subtitled "Second Incarnation | Seconde Incarnation." is a crowned figure with four arms seated atop a lotus cushion, which itself sits atop a column. A large snake is wrapped around the column and figures are pulling on either end of it: on the right, a human figure and a figure resembling the four-headed king in the first panel, and on the left, two figures with human bodies and monkey-like heads with horns. The figure on the lotus cushion carries the same objects in his hands. In the background is an elephant, a cow, two pots floating in the air, and a horse with seven heads.
Third panel (bottom row left), captioned "Third Incarnation | Troiseme Incarnation." Depicting a four-armed figure with a boar's head atop which balances a globelike object with tiny trees and buildings upon it. The figure holds the same four items as in the other panels and stands atop another figure, which has a horned, distorted head and hairy legs terminating in hands.
Fourth panel (at right), captioned "Fourth Incarnation | Quatrieme Incarnation." Depicts a figure with four arms, an animal head, and two pillars emerging from behind it as it tears away the clothing of a human figure on its lap. On each side of the four-armed figure, a human figure puts its palms together in respect or supplication.
In the lower margin, a manuscript ink inscription has been made "CS 55".


whales
1722-01-02
PERMANENT COLLECTION
Hart Nautical
Picart, B.; Du Bose, C.
ink; laid paper; mounting
15 in x 10 in
Britain: London