The Monkey Leader Angada Steals Ravana's Crown in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, March 2019

The Monkey Leader Angada Steals Ravana's Crown from His Fortress: Folio from the Siege of Lanka series
ca. 1725


Object Details

Title: The Monkey Leader Angada Steals Ravana's Crown from His Fortress: Folio from the Siege of Lanka series

Artist: Attributed to Manaku (active ca. 1725–60)

Date: ca. 1725

Culture: India, Punjab Hills, kingdom of Guler

Medium: Ink and opaque watercolor on paper

Dimensions: 22 5/16 x 33 in. (56.7 x 83.8 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1919

Accession Number: 19.24.2


This scene is described in Valmiki's Ramayana: "Then [Angada] the powerful son of Bali, scaled [Ravana's] palace up to its roof . . . the impact of his bounds caused it to crumble." The great monkey warrior Angada is shown four times: leaping over the ramparts and casting down demons, stealing Ravana's crown, flying though the air to return to Rama's camp, and attending the crowning of Vibhishana, the rightful ruler of Lanka. The recovery of the crown does not feature in the Ramayana text and appears to have been invented by the artist to give visual authority to Rama, seen here fulfilling his divine mission to restore virtuous rule to the world. This Ramayana series was never finished. In this folio the color had been blocked in but details are lacking; other folios from the series exist only as ink-brush drawings.


Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/37948