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Sita asks Rama to fetch the golden deer, from the “Shangri” Ramayana
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Sita exclaims to Rama, “What an exquisite deer! He has stolen my heart away. Please catch him for me, my great-armed husband. He shall be our plaything. . . . Never before have we seen an animal such as this. His body sparkles with different colors and is speckled with chips of precious stones; he illuminates the entire forest, for with his golden hide and horns of precious gems, he shows all the brilliance of the morning sun, all the luster of the starry heavens.” Lakshmana is suspicious and warns against having anything to do with the enchanting deer.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineSita asks Rama to fetch the golden deer, from the “Shangri” Ramayana, c. 1700–1725. Northern India, Pahari kingdoms, Himachal Pradesh. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; page: 21.2 x 31.5 cm (8 3/8 x 12 3/8 in.); painting: 18.2 x 28.2 cm (7 3/16 x 11 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Sundry Art - Miscellaneous Fund, 2025.7
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