On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Rathor Noblemen in Durbar
Not on view
At left, an assembly of Rathor rulers gathers in audience with their governor on a carpeted roof terrace. Most hold a flower, sharing in the aesthetic pleasure of the gathering, which probably marks the religious festival of Dassehra (Dussehra), in which Rama prevails over the demon Ravana. The dignitaries display in their turbans sarpech ornaments with a large golden sunburst disk, a device unique to the Rathor clan that signifies their ancestral claim to be descended from the sun god Surya. At right, Ram Singh II (r. 1828–66) presides at a royal reception (durbar) held in an open pavilion within a walled garden of the palace. He receives an unidentified chief who, judging from the turban style of his party and the distinctive helmets of his two bodyguards, is a ruler from a Central Indian kingdom. Lavish gifts of jewelry and textiles offered by the visiting chief are displayed on presentation trays.
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