RAMA AND LAKSHMANA DEFEATING AN ELEPHANT DEMON
Possibly Basohli, Pahari Provincial School, India, mid to late 19th century

Opaque pigments and gold on wasli paper, the horizontal composition depicting Rama triumphantly walking over the carcass of an elephant, holding one of its tusks and leading the way, Lakshmana following him promptly and holding the other tusk, both characters heavily bejewelled and wearing a lotus crown, two attendants flanking them, holding thin wooden sticks, to the foreground the overthrown enemy mahout and attendant lying on the ground, the scene set within black and white rules and orange-red borders, the verso with later accounting annotations in black ink, 26cm x 31cm.

Provenance: in a private UK collection since the late 1970s.