The Monkey King Vali's Funeral Pyre: Illustrated folio from a dispersed Ramayana series

The Monkey King Vali's Funeral Pyre: Illustrated folio from a dispersed Ramayana series

Nainsukh

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This complex Kangra painting illustrates multiple juxtaposed narratives. Smoke rises from the funerary pyre of the monkey king Vali, who was murdered by his brother and rival, Sugriva, with the help of Rama. In return, Sugriva pledges the support of the monkey army for Rama’s war with Ravana. At upper left, Rama, seated in a cave, affirms Sugriva’s new standing as the king of the monkeys. A small scene set within the mountains at right shows Sugriva, Hanuman, Lakshmana, and the monkey army returning to their golden capital to crown Sugriva as the new king. Rama does not participate in the coronation, as he must complete his fourteen-year exile to the forest, which is emphasized by the sages in thatched huts in the center of the background.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Monkey King Vali's Funeral Pyre: Illustrated folio from a dispersed Ramayana seriesThe Monkey King Vali's Funeral Pyre: Illustrated folio from a dispersed Ramayana seriesThe Monkey King Vali's Funeral Pyre: Illustrated folio from a dispersed Ramayana seriesThe Monkey King Vali's Funeral Pyre: Illustrated folio from a dispersed Ramayana seriesThe Monkey King Vali's Funeral Pyre: Illustrated folio from a dispersed Ramayana series

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.