Cleveland Museum of Art
Rao Ram Singh I’s Elephant Gone Amok
- Date
- c. 1700
- Medium
- gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
- Culture
- Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Kota
- Department
- Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
A royal elephant, named Nahan, according to the inscription, is attempting to free itself by breaking the chain. His ears are flexed forward, and his great mass overwhelms the five men trying to control the elephant with spears and firecrackers tied to sticks. The artist used gold in the elephant’s eye to emphasize the intensity of expression. The tusks are ornamented with gold rings, and the sharp tips have been trimmed.
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