The Monkey Leader Angada Steals Ravana's Crown from His Fortress: Folio from the Siege of Lanka series

Attributed to Manaku Indian

Not on view

The monkey warrior and prince Angada leaps over crumbling ramparts and casts down demons in order to steal Ravana’s crown (left). On the right Rama crowns Vibhishana (Ravana’s brother who became Rama’s ally), marking him as the rightful and virtuous ruler of the kingdom of Lanka. Manaku’s desire for realism awkwardly results in Ravana’s ten-headed crown sitting on Vibhishana’s single head. The detailed and lively underdrawing of this partially finished work has disappeared under blocks of colored paint, meaning that the artist would have had to finish the work based on memory.

The Monkey Leader Angada Steals Ravana's Crown from His Fortress: Folio from the Siege of Lanka series, Attributed to Manaku (Indian, active ca. 1725–60), Ink and opaque watercolor on paper, India, Punjab Hills, kingdom of Guler

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