Palace Scene (painting, recto; painting, verso), illustration from a Ramayana series

This painting depicts the palace of King Dasharatha in the city of Ayodhya, where courtiers await the completion of the ritual organized for the king. At the entrance of the palace are two large elephants with their drivers (mahouts), and three horses. Two attendants flank the entrance on each side. Two other men approach the entrance from the other side, under an orange awning. At the top of the structure are two male musicians, one playing drums and the other a wind instrument, as well as two women. In the top right corner are two cow herders with their cows. The reverse of this folio depicts the king and the sages performing the ritual. This double-sided folio possibly belongs to a Ramayana manuscript produced in Sirohi. This manuscript is notable for its vibrant blue background, achieved through the use of the pigment Prussian blue. Other folios from the same manuscript in the Harvard Art Museums’ collections are 1973.164, 1973.165, 1973.166.B, 1973.167, 1973.168.A, 1973.168.B, 1973.169, 1973.170.A, 1973.170.B, 1973.171. Rajput, Rajasthani, Sirohi School.