Scroll Painting Section thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Scroll Painting Section

second half 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Section from a scroll painting, painted in watercolour on paper, mounted on cotton, illustrating a version of the Ramayana, the section is in two registers, of which the upper is preceded by the lower in the sequence of narration. In the lower half, Sita is offering food to Ravana, who appears as a lion-headed mendicant. To the right of this he is shown in his true form, bearing her off in his chariot, while Jatayu expostulates with him and points up to the figure of Rama, who stands with Lakshman at the extreme right. In the upper register, Hanuman is shown in the Asoka tree presenting Rama's ring to Sita and to the right he is shown after his capture, in conversation with Ravana.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted in watercolour on paper, mounted on cotton
Brief description
Scroll painting section, Ramayana, watercolour on paper mounted on cotton, probably Madras area, second half 19th century
Physical description
Section from a scroll painting, painted in watercolour on paper, mounted on cotton, illustrating a version of the Ramayana, the section is in two registers, of which the upper is preceded by the lower in the sequence of narration. In the lower half, Sita is offering food to Ravana, who appears as a lion-headed mendicant. To the right of this he is shown in his true form, bearing her off in his chariot, while Jatayu expostulates with him and points up to the figure of Rama, who stands with Lakshman at the extreme right. In the upper register, Hanuman is shown in the Asoka tree presenting Rama's ring to Sita and to the right he is shown after his capture, in conversation with Ravana.
Content description
In the lower half, Sita is offering food to Ravana, who appears as a lion-headed mendicant. To the irght of this he is shown in his true form, bearing her off in his chariot, while Jatayu expostulates with him and points up to the figure of Rama, who stands with Lakshman at the extreme right. In the upper register, Hanuman is shown in the Asoka tree presenting Rama's ring to Sita and to the right he is shown after his capture, in conversation with Ravana.
Production
Mr. P. S. Rawson considers that these paintings may be from Tirupati, just north of Madras, but it is possible that the paintings may be from as far North as Ganjam under post-Vijayanagar influence. It seems certain that somewhere along the Coromandel coast is the place of origin.
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceRamayana
Collection
Accession number
IS.36-1968

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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