Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
This object does not yet have a description.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1973.166.A
Title
Palace Scene (painting, recto; painting, verso), illustration from a Ramayana series
Classification
Manuscripts
Work Type
manuscript folio
Date
18th - 19th century
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan, Sirohi
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/216400

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
21.59 x 26.04 cm (8 1/2 x 10 1/4 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of John Kenneth Galbraith
Accession Year
1973
Object Number
1973.166.A
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
This painting depicts the palace of King Dasharatha in the city of Ayodhya, where courtiers await the completion of the ritual organized for the king. At the entrance of the palace are two large elephants with their drivers (mahouts), and three horses. Two attendants flank the entrance on each side. Two other men approach the entrance from the other side, under an orange awning. At the top of the structure are two male musicians, one playing drums and the other a wind instrument, as well as two women. In the top right corner are two cow herders with their cows. The reverse of this folio depicts the king and the sages performing the ritual.

This double-sided folio possibly belongs to a Ramayana manuscript produced in Sirohi. This manuscript is notable for its vibrant blue background, achieved through the use of the pigment Prussian blue. Other folios from the same manuscript in the Harvard Art Museums’ collections are 1973.164, 1973.165, 1973.166.B, 1973.167, 1973.168.A, 1973.168.B, 1973.169, 1973.170.A, 1973.170.B, 1973.171. Rajput, Rajasthani, Sirohi School.

Exhibition History

  • ReVisions, Indian Artists Engaging Traditions , Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, 04/04/2009 - 01/10/2010

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Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu