2009.202.37: Battle Between Ghatotkacha and Karna, illustrated folio from a manuscript of the Mahabharata

Identification and Creation

Object Number

2009.202.37

Title

Battle Between Ghatotkacha and Karna, illustrated folio from a manuscript of the Mahabharata

Other Titles

Series/Book Title: Mahabharata

Classification

Manuscripts

Work Type

manuscript folio

Date

c. 1670

Places

Creation Place: South Asia, India, Southern India, Mysore or Tanjore

Culture

Indian

Persistent Link

https://hvrd.art/o/213468

Physical Descriptions

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions

18 x 41.7 cm (7 1/16 x 16 7/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History

George Bickford (by 1991,).

Stuart Cary Welch (by 1999-2008,); to his estate (2008-2009,) gift; to Harvard Art Museum.

Notes:
Collector George Bickford died October 14, 1991. Object was part of long-term loan to Museum in 1999.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Stuart Cary Welch Collection, Gift of Edith I. Welch in memory of George Bickford

Accession Year

2009

Object Number

2009.202.37

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Contact

am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

Permissions

The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request.

Descriptions

Description

This is a detached folio from a manuscript of the Mahabharata. The text is written in black ink in Devanagari script on both sides, and on the recto it surrounds a painting. The painting depicts a climactic moment in the Kurukshetra war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Specifically, this is the battle between the magically-powered and comparatively coarse-featured Ghatotkacha (upper right, identified by a label in the margin above) and Karna, the best fighter on the Kaurava side.

Verification Level