Page 110 - Bonhams Himalayan, Indian Art march 2015

73
An illustration to a Ramayana series: The chaturanga
arriving in Ayodhya
Mewar, circa 1710
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; ‘Tulsi Ramayana 151,’ showing the chaturanga (the
four divisions of the army, comprising elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry) arriving from
Shavanpuri watched by the princess of Ayodhya from the palace windows.
Image: 7 7/8 x 15 3/8 in. (20 x 39.1 cm); Folio: 10 1/4 x 16 1/2 in. (26 x 41.8 cm)
$10,000 - 15,000

Together with lot 74, these pages are from a dispersed series that can be found in the
Cincinnati Art Museum (see Walker & Smart, Pride of the Princes, Cincinnati, 1985, no.
28). Another is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M86.345.3), formerly of the Paul
Walter Collection (see Pal, The Classical Tradition in Rajput Paintings, Los Angeles, 1978,
pp. 100-1, no. 27). Ten pages are in the Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena. Eleven
more are in the Ducrot collection (see Ducrot, Four Centuries of Rajput Painting, Torino,
2009, pp. 43-8, nos ME 18-ME 28).

A further page from this series is published in Hussein-Okada, Ramayana by Valmiki: illustrated
with Indian painting from the 16th to the 19th century, Edition Diane de Selliers, 2011, p. 29.
Also see two pages that sold at Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2012, lots 1205 & 1206, and
17 March 2014, lots 118-21.

Provenance
Private Collection, California

74
An illustration to a Ramayana series: Bharat and Shatrugha’s dilemma
Mewar, circa 1710
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; ‘Tulsi Ramayana 10.’ Bharata’s maternal uncle sends
an emissary to Ayodhya to encourage Bharat and Shatrughna to reconsider their decision not
to take over control after Rama’s departure.
Image: 7 3/8 x 14 7/8 in. (18.7 x 37.7 cm); Folio: 10 3/8 x 16 3/8 in. (26.3 x 41.6 cm)
$10,000 - 15,000

The chained elephant evokes a disenfranchised Ayodhya after Rama’s departure. For more
information regarding the series, see lot 73.

Provenance
Private Collection, California

108 | BONHAMS