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Leaf from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (Indian, died 1740)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This leaf from an 18th-century romance manuscript comes from a section of the book that retells the epic battle between the demon Ravana and the god-hero Rama. The 10-headed multiarmed demon Ravana is the second figure from the right. Rama’s army of monkeys and bears, wielding tree branches and clods of earth, fill the remainder of the leaf. The images were created using a stylus that incised into the palm leaf; charcoal was then rubbed over the leaf and wiped off, leaving only the incised areas in black.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineLeaf from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (Indian, died 1740), late 1700s. Eastern India, Odisha. Charcoal on palm leaf; overall: 4.8 x 40.2 cm (1 7/8 x 15 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Edward L. Whittemore Fund, 1979.21
Similar works
Hanuman Brings the Mountain of Healing Plants; Rama Extracts the Arrow from Lakshmana as Hanuman and a Bear Prepare to Treat Him (recto), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (Indian, died 1740)
A Prince Performs Austerities (recto); Shiva and His Followers Return to Mount Kailash (verso), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (1670–1740)
A Prince Performs Austerities (recto), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (1670–1740)
Iconographic Sketchbook
Folio 2, from a Great Poem about Twos (Dvyashraya Mahakavya) of Hemachandra with Commentary by Abhayatilaka
The Monkeys and Bears Fight Ravana and His Demons (verso), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (Indian, died 1740)