The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 17, 2025

Royal Elephant Ramkali with a Mahout

c. 1761

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput kingdom of Mewar, Udaipur, Court of Ari Singh

(reigned 1761-73)
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Painting: 20.6 x 21.4 cm (8 1/8 x 8 7/16 in.); Overall: 24.1 x 25 cm (9 1/2 x 9 13/16 in.)
Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski 2005.202
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The name Ramkali is a popular nickname for young girls in some parts of northern India.

Description

The mahout (elephant driver), directs the confident female elephant at a brisk trot, with bells swinging in response to her movements. This painting belongs to a series depicting the elephants in the royal stables at Udaipur, each one named in the upper margin. Elephants have been a potent emblem for royalty in India for more than three thousand years.
  • ?–c. 1970s
    Collection in London, England, to Dr. Norman Zaworski
    c. 1970s–2005
    Dr. Norman Zaworski [1920–2013], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2005–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Raja Deen Dayal: The King of Indian Photographers. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 23, 2023-February 4, 2024).
  • {{cite web|title=Royal Elephant Ramkali with a Mahout|url=false|author=|year=c. 1761|access-date=17 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2005.202