The elephant Khanderao Bahadur killing Sham Mahavat

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Object Details

School/Tradition

Mewar school

Description

Numerous attendants using firecrackers attempt to control a chained elephant. His mahout grips the elephant with his feet and hands as his hair sticks out in fright.

Inscriptions

Recto: in devanagari script on top red border: Maharana Amar Singhji ri divar ke Khanderao Bahadur marti Sham Mahavati

Verso: n. 9; 243 jo (album 243); Kimat val. -Rs. 12; Mewar inventory no: 13/243; 240/32?

Provenance

From 1700?

Royal Udaipur Collection

To 1967

Sri Moti Chand Khajanchi, Bikaner [1]

From 1967 to 2001

Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), Beverly Hills, California, purchased from Sri Moti Chand Khajanchi, Bikaner in December 1967 [2]

From 2001 to 2018

Catherine Glynn Benkaim, Beverly Hills, California, by inheritance from Ralph Benkaim in 2001 [3]

From 2018

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, partial gift and purchase from Catherine Glynn Benkaim

[1] Ralph Benkaim purchased the painting from Mr. Khajanchi of Bikaner in December 1967, several years before Indian paintings were classified as antiquities by the Indian government, according to Ralph Benkaim’s personal records, as relayed by Catherine Glynn Benkaim.

[2] See note 1.

[3] See note 1.

Collection

National Museum of Asian Art Collection

Previous custodian or owner

Sri Moti Chand Khajanchi

Ralph and Catherine Benkaim

Catherine Glynn Benkaim (born 1946)

Credit Line

Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art

Date

ca. 1700

Accession Number

S2018.1.23

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting

Medium

Opaque watercolor on paper

Dimensions

H x W (painting): 21.3 × 34.2 cm (8 3/8 × 13 7/16 in)

H x W (overall): 25.4 × 38.1 cm (10 × 15 in)

Origin

Mewar, Rajasthan state, India

See more items in

National Museum of Asian Art

Data Source

National Museum of Asian Art

Topic

elephant

fireworks

India

South Asian and Himalayan Art

mahout

Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection

Metadata Usage

CC0

Link to Original Record

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3f1aed02d-5f67-412b-a00c-97cd3ae4d08d

Record ID

fsg_S2018.1.23