The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 16, 2026

Battle between monkeys and demons, from the “Shangri” Ramayana

c. 1700

Northern India, Pahari kingdoms

Gum tempera and ink on paper
Page: 22.2 x 32.1 cm (8 3/4 x 12 5/8 in.)
Sundry Art - Miscellaneous Fund 2025.9
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Some of the monkeys bare their teeth in primal screams.

Description

When the demon Ravana refused to return Sita to her husband, the divine hero Rama, Ravana sent his army to attack Rama. Rama’s army, made up mainly of monkeys from the forest, fought valiantly using only trees and rocks. The artist creates a tapestry of color and form to convey the confusion of battle.
  • ?–1969
    Mandi Royal Library, India
    1969–1973
    Amrit Kaur, Maharani of Mandi, sold in London to a German scientist
    1973–2009
    German scientist [d. 2020], consigned to Sotheby's London for sale
    June 19, 2009
    (Sotheby's London, England, June 19, 2009 sale, sold to Francesca Galloway)
    2009–2025
    (Francesca Galloway, London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2025–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Mace, Sonya Rhies. "A Spring Preview. Epic of the Northwest Himalayas: Pahari Paintings from the "Shangri" Ramayana.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 65, no. 4 (2025): 9. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 9 archive.org
  • {{cite web|title=Battle between monkeys and demons, from the “Shangri” Ramayana|url=false|author=|year=c. 1700|access-date=16 March 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.9