- Title
- Rama's Court, Folio from a Ramayana (Adventures of Rama)
- Date Made
- 1775-1800
- Period
- 18th century
- Medium
- Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
- Dimensions
- Image: 5 5/8 x 7 in. (14.29 x 17.78 cm); Sheet: 6 3/16 x 7 5/8 in. (15.72 x 19.37 cm)
- Accession Number
- AC1999.127.36
- Collecting Area
- South and Southeast Asian Art
- Curatorial Notes
An inscription in Hindi on the back of the painting states that, “Having killed Ravana, Rama brought Sita back [to his kingdom]. [Here] Shatrughna and Lakshmana [Rama’s brothers] attend them with a [royal] umbrella and flywhisk [and are accompanied by] Hanuman, Angada, Sugriva, and Jambavanta [Rama’s commanders].” (Translated by Naval Krishna.) This painting likely depicts the episode in near the end of Book 6 of the Ramayana (Adventures of Rama) where Rama, having recently been crowned King of Ayodhya, holds a grand ceremony honoring his friends and allies during his fourteen-year exile and triumphant victory over Ravana. Alternatively, because the initial verse of the inscription also includes the numeral “7” and Rama was the seventh of the ten conventional avatars, it is possible this image is from a series depicting the avatars of Vishnu.
In the center of the painting is the blue-skinned Rama enthroned with his wife Sita. Behind them are Lakshmana, who may be the figure holding the royal parasol and flywhisk; Bharata, who served as Rama’s regent during his exile and may be the figure with his hand on the back of the throne; and Shatrughna, who was Lakshmana’s twin and Bharata’s acolyte. In front of the royal couple are the monkey general Hanuman, carrying a mace; the monkey king Sugriva or the monkey prince Angada, who led the search party for Sita in Lanka; and the bear king Jambavanta. Hanuman and Sugriva/Angada hold their hands in a receiving gesture.
- Selected Bibliography
- Meller, Susan. Labels of Empire: Textile Trademarks: Windows into India in the Time of the Raj. Novato, CA: Goff Books, 2023.
