Maharana Raj Singh I observing an elephant fight

Object Details

• School/Tradition

  Mewar school

• Description

  Within an arena, five vignettes convey the play-by-play action of an elephant contest. At the upper right, the elephants are introduced, then clash beneath the Rana's balcony on the upper left, until one falls and sheds its mahouts. It is pursued, but turns on its attacker, which also spills its riders.

  The many active minor figures are freshly if naively drawn and the action unusually overlaps into the margins. Above and aloof from the melee, the Rana sits facing his younger brother Arsi and son Gaj Singh, while Garibas sits behind.

• Inscriptions

  Updated 2022

  kī 115 18/40

  [partially obscured]…. kālīkāṁṭī ro bhālerāv

  Price 115 rupees [in red] 18/40

  …black Bhalerav

  śrī māhārājādhīrāj māhrāṇojī śrī rāj sīghjī baṭhā

  bhatiyanī chovṭe hāthī ladavaya jaṭhe sāmā

  māhārājā arsī beṭhā māhārājā gaj sīghjī

  beṭhā hajur pāche prohat garībdāsjī beṭhā

  hāṭhī sadāmaṁd bhurīkaṁṭī ro hāṭhī bhālerāv

  kālīkāṁṭī ro

  Shri Maharajadhiraj Maharanaji Shri Raj Singhji sat [at]

  Bhatiyani Chohta; the elephants were made to fight

  there; where, in front, Maharaja Arsi sat, Maharaja Gaj

  Singhji sat, after the king, the priest Garibdas sat.

  Elephant Sadamand has a brown luster; elephant

  Bhalerav has a black luster.

  2018

  Verso in Rajasthani in devanagari script:

  (on right, in a smaller hand) Hathi Jhalera Su Ladavya, Kali Kanti Ro Jhalerav

  Elephant fight and the one with the black band is Jhalerav (meaning of Jhalerav unknown)

  (in a larger hand) Shri Maharaja Dheraj Maharanoji Shri Raj Singhni Bada Bhatiyani Chovte Hathi Ladavaya Jate Sama Maharaja Arsiji Betha Maharaja GajSigh Ji Betha Husuriya Che. Prohit Garibdas Betha Hathi Sadasamand Bhuri Kanti Ro Hathi Bhalerav Kali Kanti Ro

  During Shri Maharajadhiraj Maharana ji Shri Raj Singh’s [big/elder?] elephant fight in a field. Sitting in front is Maharaja Arsiji and Maharaja Shri Gaj Singh ji in service. The priest Garibdas ji is also sitting. As always the elephant has a brown [chain/throat/ neck band?] and [Bhalerav?] elephant has a black [chain/throat/ neck band]. 1.

• Provenance

  Royal Udaipur Collection [1]

  To 2004

  Vishnu Lal, New York, New York [2]

  From 2004 to 2018

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim, Beverly Hills, California, purchased from Vishnu Lal in New York, New York in 2004 [3]

  From 2018

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, partial gift and purchase from Catherine Glynn Benkaim [4]

  Notes:

  [1] According to information from Andrew Topsfield, the painting was previously in the Royal Collection of Udaipur. He states, “I first saw this picture in 1976. It was then in Switzerland and belonged to a group of paintings formerly in the Mewar royal collection which I understood had come out of India a few years before, possibly 1969 but I am not sure.” See letter from Andrew Topsfield from Nov. 29, 2917, copy in object file, Collections Management Office.

  [2] According to information from Catherine Glenn Benkaim, Vishnu Lal is the son of an Agra dealer, Ganeshi Lal. But he also had an office on 42nd street and 5th avenue right across the street from the Public Library. Ms. Benkaim does not know when the New York office opened because the Lal family had been in the business since the 19th century. The New York office is no longer open.

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] See Acquisition Justification Form, object file, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  A Splendid Land: Paintings from Royal Udaipur (November 19, 2022 to May 14, 2023)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Royal Udaipur Collection

  Vishnu M. Lal

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim

• Origin

  Mewar, Rajasthan state, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1680s, 1660s

• Name

  Royal Udaipur Collection, Benkaim, Catherine Glynn, Lal, Vishnu M.

• Place

  Rajasthan state, Mewar, India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Animals, Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, Elephants

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings