Ceremonial hanging
- Place of origin:
Coromandel Coast, India (made)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
Mordant-dyed and painted cotton
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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This ceremonial hanging shows a scene from the Hindu epic the Ramayana (‘the story of Rama’). Here Prince Rama and the demon king Ravana confront each other, together with their respective armies of monkeys and bears.
Although related in technique and style to south Indian temple cloths, these Ramayana cloths are unique to Indonesia. Here they have been mostly recorded in Sulawesi and Bali. Some bear the stamp of the VOC, the initials of the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie). This indicates that they were manufactured pre-1800 as the trading Company went into liquidation in 1799.
Physical description
Ceremonial hanging with a scene from the Ramayana. Cotton mordant-dyed and painted with characters from the Ramayana, red on white ground.
Place of Origin
Coromandel Coast, India (made)
Date
18th century (made)
Artist/maker
unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Mordant-dyed and painted cotton
Dimensions
Length: 450 cm, Width: 95 cm
Object history note
Purchased from Ms. Diane Daniel, 4411 Grand View Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066 for US $6500.
Historical significance: Although related in technique and style to south Indian temple cloths, Ramayana cloths are unique to Indonesia, where they have been mostly recorded in Sulawesi and Bali. Some bear the stamp of the VOC, establishing a pre-1800 date for their manufacture.
Descriptive line
Ceremonial hanging with a scene from the Ramayana. Coromandel Coast for the Indonesian market, found in eastern Indonesia; eighteenth century.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
John Guy, Woven Cargoes. Indian Textiles in the East, Thames and Hudson, 1998, pl. 151.
Exhibition History
The Ramayana: Love and Valour in India's Great Epic (British Library, London 16/05/2008-14/09/2008)
Production Note
Made for the Indonesian market
Materials
Cotton
Techniques
Painted; Mordant
Subjects depicted
Bow; Monkey; Arrow
Categories
Ceremonial objects; Textile
Collection code
SSEA
