Cleveland Museum of Art

Royal Elephant Ramkali with a Mahout

Date

c. 1761

Medium

gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

Culture

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput kingdom of Mewar, Udaipur, Court of Ari Singh (reigned 1761-73)

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The mahout (elephant driver), directs the confident female elephant at a brisk trot, with bells swinging in response to her movements. This painting belongs to a series depicting the elephants in the royal stables at Udaipur, each one named in the upper margin. Elephants have been a potent emblem for royalty in India for more than three thousand years. The name Ramkali is a popular nickname for young girls in some parts of northern India.

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