Cleveland Museum of Art

Queen Kaikeyi reminds King Dasharatha about the sacrifices of King Bali and King Shivi, folio 39 from the Ayodhya Kanda (Book of Ayodhya) of a Ramayana (Rama's Journey)

Date: c. 1710
Medium: gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Culture: Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Mewar, Court of Amar Singh II (reigned 1698–1710)
Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art
Object ID: 314447

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

A large portion of this composition is dominated by the episode of Vishnu’s manifestation as Trivikrama in Raja Bali’s sacrifice. Vishnu stands monumentally with his one foot on the ground and the other foot reaching to heaven where Brahma washes Vishnu’s foot with Ganges water in devotion. Raja Bali is shown giving the sacrifice to Vamana, the brahmin incarnation of Vishnu. The scenes outside the room illustrate and expand further on what the queen, at left, is saying.

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Provenance & credit

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Credit line: Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
Provenance: ?–2008: Edward Wilkinson, Pasadena, CA | 2008–2018: Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Ralph Benkaim Collection | 2018–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

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