Arkivism
Ravana battles the great vulture Jatayu and defeats him by throwing stones in his mouth, folio 18 (recto) from a Chandana Malayagiri Varta (Story of King Chandana and Queen Malayagiri) of Karamachand
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Ravana battles the great vulture Jatayu and defeats him by throwing stones in his mouth, folio 18 (recto) from a Chandana Malayagiri Varta (Story of King Chandana and Queen Malayagiri) of Karamachand

1744–45 · Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

Scenes of the abduction and rescue of Sita are embedded within a popular tale rewritten in a Gujarati-Rajasthani vernacular language by the poet Karamachand in 1629–30. Many details differ from the more well-known Ramayana of Valmiki. The artist shows Ravana as a merchant carrying Sita in a white sack slung over one shoulder. As Jatayu, a vulture ally of Rama, attempts to rescue her, Ravana attacks him with a sword, above. He then defeats the bird by throwing stones in his mouth. He painted the stones with blood, so Jatayu would swallow them.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineRavana battles the great vulture Jatayu and defeats him by throwing stones in his mouth, folio 18 (recto) from a Chandana Malayagiri Varta (Story of King Chandana and Queen Malayagiri) of Karamachand, 1744–45. Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Kishangarh. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; image: 13.4 x 14.9 cm (5 1/4 x 5 7/8 in.); page: 28.8 x 20 cm (11 5/16 x 7 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, James Parmelee and Cornelia Blakemore Warner Funds, 1968.108.a

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