18th - 19th century
The painting depicts the joyous moment of the birth of King Dasharatha’s three wives’ sons – Kaushalya’s Rama, Kaikeyi’s Bharata, Sumitra’s Lakshmana and Shatrughna. The dark-skinned Rama is seen with his mother Kaushalya on the far left, while the dark-skinned Bharata, and the light-skinned Lakshmana and Shatrughna are on the far left. In the lower register, king Dasharatha of Ayodhya sits opposite the group of sages and priests who performed the ritual which helped him obtain sons. According to the text of the Indian Epic Ramayana, he donated cows to the priests as a token of his gratitude. On the reverse of this painting, is another depiction of the new mothers with their sons. This double-sided folio possibly belongs to a Ramayana manuscript produced in Sirohi. Other folios from the same manuscript in the Harvard Art Museums’ collections are 1973.164, 1973.165, 1973.166.A, 1973.166.B, 1973.167, 1973.168.B, 1973.169, 1973.170.A, 1973.170.B, 1973.171. Rajput, Rajasthani, Sirohi School.
25.7 x 30.6 cm (10 1/8 x 12 1/16 in.)
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
17th centuryPersianOpaque watercolor and gold on paper
18th centuryIndianInk, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
17th centuryPersianInk, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
16th centuryUzbekInk, opaque watercolor and gold on vellum
9th centuryArabInk, colors, and gold on paper
16th centuryPersianInk, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
17th centuryPersianBlack ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on beige paper
16th centuryPersianPainting with text; ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
16th centuryPersianOpaque watercolor and gold on paper
19th centuryIndianInk, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
17th centuryPersian