The assembly of Rama (Uttara Rama Charitra)

This scene marks the conclusion of the epic Ramayana, when Rama returns to Ayodhya to reclaim his throne after fourteen years in exile. Rama and his wife, Sita, are enthroned with their twin sons, Lava and Kusha. The throne has an elaborately carved base of lions amid lotus blossoms and acanthus leaves, a hybrid of European and Indian architectural elements much favored by print artists in Kolkata. Rama’s devoted general, the monkey Hanuman, kneels before the couple while the sage Vashistha, priest to the royal family, presents the book of the Vedas. Rama’s three brothers stand behind, holding symbols of kingship. Copied after an 1886 print by the Chitrapriyaprakesh Press, this version achieves a remarkable degree of naturalism while preserving the hieratic authority of the ensemble.