Sikh woodcut, an illustration to the Mahabharata, the unveiling of Draupadi, from Lahore or Amritsar, about 1870

Woodcut illustration showing the episode in the Mahabharata in which the Pandava brothers (seated on the left of the scene) gamble away their kingdom and their common wife, Draupadi. Their enemy Dussasana is about to try to undress Draupadi, but the goddess Durga comes to her aid and renders her sari interminably long so that it cannot be unwrapped from her body.

Given by Rudyard Kipling Esq., Bateman's, Burwash, Sussex

Part of an album, containing 196 prints, paintings and pen and pencil drawings together with 37 loose pages of paintings, calligraphic drawings, and outline pen drawings. The collection is mainly composed of native lithograph pictures sold at the local bazaars and fairs of Upper India and Bengal. The album was collected by late J Lockwood Kipling between the years 1865 and 1893. In 1875 he became Principal of the Mayo School of Art, Lahore and held this post until his retirement in 1893. The album was presented to the Museum by his son, Rudyard Kipling in 1917.

Given by Rudyard Kipling Esq., Bateman's, Burwash, Sussex. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.

R.P. 1917-2627M, R.P. 1917-2705M

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IM.2:140-1917