Pearlescent blue, purple, and green hues of the enamel plaque depicts in art nouveau style Bhanavar, the unsuspecting daughter of an emir marveling at an evil magical jewel in her hand before her transformation into the monstrous queen of the serpents from George Meredith’s The Shaving of Shagpat published in 1856.

Bhanavar the Beautiful by Alexander Fisher (British) - Enamel on copper plaque / c. 1903-1904 - Santa Barbara (California) Museum of Art #painting #womeninart #britishart #sbma #art #alexanderfisher #europeanart #enamel #santabarbara #georgemeredith