Artwork Page for The Elephant of Maharana Jai Singh of Mewar (r. 1680–98) Catches a Horse by the Tail

Details / Information for The Elephant of Maharana Jai Singh of Mewar (r. 1680–98) Catches a Horse by the Tail

The Elephant of Maharana Jai Singh of Mewar (r. 1680–98) Catches a Horse by the Tail

c. 1680

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Mewar

Medium
Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Measurements
Page: 31.1 x 49.2 cm (12 1/4 x 19 3/8 in.); Miniature: 27 x 45.4 cm (10 5/8 x 17 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.137
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The servant dressed in mauve jama (belted tunic) attempts to light a firecracker to frighten the elephant.

Description

The elephant driver holds his hands and the goad helplessly up in the air as the frenzied royal elephant grabs the tail of a galloping horse with its trunk. The horse rider turns around in astonishment and tries to whip the elephant’s trunk. A group of royal servants run erratically and try to contain the elephant.
A horizontally oriented gum tempera and ink painting depicts Maharana Jai Singh, a man with light skin and a dark mustache, riding a large gray elephant across a pale green field. Adorned in a yellow and red blanket, the elephant grasps a rearing brown horse's tail. Four men flee past simple white structures. Devanagari script is centered at the top, and a thick red border frames the entire composition.

The Elephant of Maharana Jai Singh of Mewar (r. 1680–98) Catches a Horse by the Tail

c. 1680

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Mewar

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