Artwork Page for Rao Ram Singh I’s Elephant Gone Amok

Details / Information for Rao Ram Singh I’s Elephant Gone Amok

Rao Ram Singh I’s Elephant Gone Amok

c. 1700

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Kota

Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Measurements
Page: 20 x 41.6 cm (7 7/8 x 16 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.177
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The tusks are ornamented with gold rings, and the sharp tips have been trimmed.

Description

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.
A horizontal sheet of aged paper with a gum tempera and ink drawing depicts a large gray elephant charging toward our right. Its trunk curls inward, and its leg is bound by rope. At the right, two men with medium skin tones attempt to control the animal with a sparking pole and long spears. Black Devanagari script marks the top right. Water stains and creases are visible across the surface.

Rao Ram Singh I’s Elephant Gone Amok

c. 1700

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Kota

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