Shurpanakha demands vengeance, from the "Shangri" Ramayana

Cleveland Museum of Art

Shurpanakha demands vengeance, from the "Shangri" Ramayana

Date
c. 1700
Medium
Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Culture
Northern India, Pahari kingdoms
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Institution
Cleveland Museum of Art
Object ID
314241

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

In a dramatic climax, the artists introduce the demon king, Ravana (the Howler), archvillain of the Ramayana . He has 10 crowned heads and 20 arms. He grasps a different deadly weapon in each hand; they reveal his supreme powers. The demon Shurpanakha’s nose and ears are healing, but her desire for revenge is stronger than ever. She gestures emphatically at her brother Ravana, urging him to find a way to destroy Rama, perhaps by kidnapping Rama’s wife. More gold has been lavished on this painting than any other known from the “Shangri” Ramayana , suggesting that it is meant to stand out as a scene of primary importance. The Ramayana of Valmiki describes Shurpanakha as hideous, misshapen, and potbellied with hair the color of copper.

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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
?–1956: Unknown | 1956–July 1969: (Walter LeRoy Randel Jr. [b. 1932], New York, NY, sold to Ralph Benkaim) | July 1969–2018: Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, Los Angeles, CA | 2018–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

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