The Combat of Rama and Ravana

The Combat of Rama and Ravana

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This rare example of a ceremonial textile hanging depicts the penultimate battle in the Ramayana, when Rama and his monkey and bear armies fight Ravana and his hoards of demons. Rama and Ravana are preparing to discharge magical arrows at each other. Rama is supported by Lakshmana, seen stringing his bow, and by his general, the monkey leader Hanuman, who gestures in veneration (anjali) to his Lord. Some members of Hanuman's army engage in deadly combat while others carry rocks to build the land bridge to Lanka (Sri Lanka), needed for the final siege of Ravana's fortress and the rescue of Rama's wife, Sita. Ravana is flanked by his general and by the demonic creatures in his service. The surrounding battleground is filled with combatants and the dismembered bodies of the slain. This vivid and masterful example of south Indian textile painting, kalamkari, demonstrates the artist's ability to capture in lively brushwork the energy and majesty of the epic battle.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Combat of Rama and RavanaThe Combat of Rama and RavanaThe Combat of Rama and RavanaThe Combat of Rama and RavanaThe Combat of Rama and Ravana

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.