Rathor Noblemen in Durbar
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.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.
Artwork Details
- Title: Rathor Noblemen in Durbar
- Date: ca. 1750–60
- Culture: India, Rajasthan, Marwar
- Medium: Opaque watercolor with gold on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 17 11/16 × 12 3/16 in. (45 × 31 cm)
Framed: 22 1/2 × 17 1/8 × 3/4 in. (57.2 × 43.5 × 1.9 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: The Howard Hodgkin Collection, on loan from the Howard Hodgkin Indian Collection Trust
- Object Number: L.2022.30.19
- Rights and Reproduction: Photo © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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