Kircher, in his China Illustrata, folio edit. Amsterdam, 1660, gives plates of the ten Avataras, very similar—exactly, indeed, in all material points, to the pictures of the present day. He has given Sanskrit characters over his plates; but they seem to have been merely copied from a Sanskrit alphabet, to give an effect to the plates, having no reference to their subjects, nor indeed any meaning whatever. The titles or names of the Avataras, as given in European characters, are in most instances misapplied.
I have a well executed set, that I purchased at Poena, from which plate 49. is taken, very like that of Kircher's. That given by Baldeus, an author I believe, but have not his works to refer to, still anterior to Kircher, is also the same with the drawings commonly offered for sale in different parts of India. This I notice, to show how little, in the lapse of a century and a half, the Hindu artists alter their designs of sacred subjects; they are, indeed, in a measure restricted from so doing. I had for some time an artist in my employ, a man of some genius, who had, with thousands of others, taken refuge in Bombay from the distresses and persecutions of Poona, who would, I believe, have improved himself, if let alone; but as I wanted from him accuracy, rather than invention, his performances were scrutinized by my Pandit: and if at any time the painter's imagination was too prurient, the Brakman, by a shloka from a Veda or a Purama, immediately restored him to orthodox sobriety.
