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Ramayana

Painting
ca. 1800 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Painted scroll, in opaque watercolour on paper, mounted on cloth, by an artist of the Patua caste, illustrating scenes from the Ramayana. The scroll is divided into 39 panels with scrolling floral borders. In addition there are a number of fragments stored separately (IS.105:2 to 26-1955). The scenes include Rama's departure, wanderings in the forest, the Golden Stag, Sita's abduction, Jatayu's rescue of Sita, Rama's return, the cremation of Jatayu and meeting with Hanuman, Vali's defeat, the re-establishment of Vali, and of Sugriva, the monkey alliance and search for Sita, Hanuman crossing the ocean, Hanuman in the Asoka grove, th capture of Hanuman, Hanuman taken to Ravana, the burning and evacuation of Lanka, Hanuman worshipping Devi, Hanuman returning to Rama, building the bridge, Hanuman congratulated by Rama, and Ravana deposed.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 26 parts.

  • Fragment
  • Fragment
  • Painting
  • Fragment
  • Fragment
  • Fragment
  • Fragment
  • Fragment
  • Fragment
  • Fragment
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TitleRamayana (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Opaque watercolour on paper, mounted on cloth
Brief description
Scroll painting, consisting of a reconstructed length and 25 fragments, Ramayana scenes, by a Patua artist, in opaque watercolour on paper, mounted on cloth, West Bengal, ca. 1800
Physical description
Painted scroll, in opaque watercolour on paper, mounted on cloth, by an artist of the Patua caste, illustrating scenes from the Ramayana. The scroll is divided into 39 panels with scrolling floral borders. In addition there are a number of fragments stored separately (IS.105:2 to 26-1955). The scenes include Rama's departure, wanderings in the forest, the Golden Stag, Sita's abduction, Jatayu's rescue of Sita, Rama's return, the cremation of Jatayu and meeting with Hanuman, Vali's defeat, the re-establishment of Vali, and of Sugriva, the monkey alliance and search for Sita, Hanuman crossing the ocean, Hanuman in the Asoka grove, th capture of Hanuman, Hanuman taken to Ravana, the burning and evacuation of Lanka, Hanuman worshipping Devi, Hanuman returning to Rama, building the bridge, Hanuman congratulated by Rama, and Ravana deposed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 863cm
  • Width: 51cm
Content description
Scenes from the Ramayana.
Credit line
Purchased with Art Fund support
Object history
Collected by J.C. French on the western border of the Murshidabad district, Bengal, 1928
Production
West Bengali
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceRamayana
Bibliographic references
  • Swallow, Deborah and John Guy eds. Arts of India: 1550-1900. text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow. London : V&A Publications, 1990. 240 p., ill. ISBN 1851770224,pp.38/39, no.23. Barnard, Nick: Arts of Asia, vol. 45, no. 5, September - October 2015, "The Parasol Foundation Trust Programme: digitising and cataloguing the V&A's South Asian collection.", p.105, pl. 19.
  • Sinha, Suhashini, and Panda, C, eds. Kalighat Paintings from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2012. ISBN 1851776656. p. 57 (detail)
Collection
Accession number
IS.105-1955

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Record createdJanuary 30, 2003
Record URL
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