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Five iconic women (Panchakanya)

ca. 1910s
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 251
This is a highly unusual depiction of five leading women from Indian epic literature, notably Draupadi and Sita from the Mahabharata and Ahalya, Tara, and Mandodari from the Ramayana. Each are celebrated as models of womanhood and idealized wives according to Hindu custom. In some traditional households, women recite their names in early morning prayers and aspire to emulate their example. The artists of Ravi Varma Press chose to depict these celebrities as ordinary women, allowing female viewers from all social stations to identify with them. The five are respectfully attired, well groomed, and have a modicum of jewelry. Swags of drawn curtains with tassels frame the group. The Hindi text on the lower margin provides the prayer, “Ahalya, Draupadi, Sita, Tara, Mandodari; remembering the five maidens everyday destroys great sins.”

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Five iconic women (Panchakanya)
  • Date: ca. 1910s
  • Culture: India, Karla–Lonavala, Maharashtra
  • Medium: Chromolithograph on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 13 1/2 × 9 9/16 in. (34.3 × 24.3 cm)
    Overall: 14 × 9 13/16 in. (35.6 × 24.9 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mark Baron and Elise Boisanté, 2014
  • Object Number: 2014.129.2
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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