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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1960.51
People
Attributed to Kamal
Title
Karna Attacks Ghatotkacha (text, recto; painting, verso), folio from a Razmnama (Book of War) series
Classification
Manuscripts
Work Type
manuscript folio
Date
c. 1616-1617
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India
Period
Mughal period
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/169520

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
36.8 x 20.6 cm (14 1/2 x 8 1/8 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of John Goelet
Accession Year
1960
Object Number
1960.51
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description
The folio is from a Razmnama (Book of War), the Persian translation of the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. The recto side of this folio features a horse-drawn chariot carrying the warrior-king Karna, who wears a gold helmet and vambraces (arm defenses). He fires an arrow at Ghatotkacha, a half human, half demon figure with magical powers, who fought on the opposite side of the Kurukshetra war. There are two text blocks containing Persian text written in nasta’liq script and black ink. A square The painting and the text has areas that have suffered from loss.

Publication History

  • Milo Cleveland Beach, The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., 1981), pp. 143-144, fig. 27
  • John Seyller, "Model and Copy: The Illustration of Three 'Razmnama' Manuscripts", Archives of Asian Art (1985), vol. 38, pp. 37-66, p. 62, no. 10

Exhibition History

  • The Enlightened Eye: Gifts from John Goelet, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 02/12/2000 - 05/07/2000

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu