Not currently on display at the V&A

Ravana, Sita and Jatayu

Painting
ca. 1880 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, a depiction of Jatayu in his attempt to prevent Ravana from carrying off Sita by the aerial route in the Pushpaka ratha. Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka is seen driving the chariot himself and Sita is kneeling behind him. Jatayu is attempting to hold the Pushpaka ratha with its horses and Ravana with Sita in his beak.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleRavana, Sita and Jatayu (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour on paper
Brief description
Painting, Ravana and Sita in the beak of Jatayu, opaque watercolour on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1880
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, a depiction of Jatayu in his attempt to prevent Ravana from carrying off Sita by the aerial route in the Pushpaka ratha. Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka is seen driving the chariot himself and Sita is kneeling behind him. Jatayu is attempting to hold the Pushpaka ratha with its horses and Ravana with Sita in his beak.
Dimensions
  • Height: 444mm (maximum)
  • Width: 290mm (maximum)
07/08/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project 2013.
Content description
Jatayu in his attempt to prevent Ravana from carrying off Sita by the aerial route in the Pushpaka ratha. Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka is seen driving the chariot himself and Sita is kneeling behind him. Jatayu is attempting to hold the Pushpaka ratha with its horses and Ravana with Sita in his beak.
Style
Object history
Purchased from Mrs E.M. Milford; property of the Church Missionary Society.
Subjects depicted
Bibliographic reference
Kalighat paintings : a catalogue and introduction / by W.G. Archer. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1971 Number: 0112900291 : pl. 44, cat. no. 21,ii: p.64.
Collection
Accession number
IS.75-1949

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Record createdSeptember 29, 2006
Record URL
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