926 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



type. Such is not the case with the following packs in the University 

 Museum, which bear Hindu emblems representing the ten avatars of 

 Vishnu, from which they are known as the dasavatara mulu, or the 

 Game of the Ten Incarnations. 



One pack (Oat. No. 19135) consists of one hundred and twenty lac 

 quered disks of cardboard, 4i inches in diameter, with plain red backs, 

 and faces painted with suit-marks on grounds of different colors. There 

 are ten suits of twelve cards each, consisting of ten numerals and two 

 court-cards. The court-cards bear representations of the ten avatars 

 of Vishnu, one of the two of each suit having a single figure, and the 

 other the same figure in a kind of temple, with two attendants (figs. 

 221-224). The marks of the numerals are as follows; 



1. Malay d, the fish. Fish, black. 



2. Kurma, the tortoise. Tortoise, brown. 



3. Varah, the boar. Conch, dark greeu. 



4. iViara-AS'lm/ia, the man-liou. Flower,' blue. 



5. Vamana, the dwarf. Lota,- blue. 



6. Pdrapi-Bdmd. Axe, white. 



7. Edmd-Chandra. Arrow, red. 



8. Krishna. Pestle, green. 



9. Buddha. Lotus flower, yellow. 



10. Kalkind, the "white horse." Sword, red. 



Another pack (Cat. No. 19156) in the same museum, 3|^ inches in 

 diameter, corresxJonds in number, the emblems also referring to the 

 ten avatars. The colors and suit marks vary somewhat in order from 

 the preceding. 



1. Matsyd. Fish, red. 



2. Eurma. Tortoisej red. 



3. Varah. Boar, yellow. 



4. Nara-Simha. Lion, green. 



5. Vamana. Lota, green. 



6. Pdragu-Bdrnd. Ax, brown. 



7. Bdmd- Chandra. Bow and arrow, yellow. 



8. Krishna. Disk,^ brown. 



9. Buddha. Conch, black. 

 10. KalMnd. Sword, black. 



Another pack (Cat. No. 16585/"), 3 inches in diameter, incomplete, 

 agrees with the preceding. 



Another pack (Cat. No. 165856), 3 inches in diameter, also incom- 

 plete, apparently has eight suits, of which the first, third, fifth, sixth, 

 eighth, and ninth agree with the preceding. In addition there is a 

 green suit on which the marks are small yellow rectangles bearing the 

 legend sriga. 



' My informant, Mr. P. Ramachandrayya, of Guntur, India, was unable to identify 

 this emblem. It resembles a flower, but may be a mace. 



^ Water vessel. 



^ My informant was unable to identify this emblem, a yellowish disk with m red 

 dot in the center. 



