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Epic Tales of Southeast Asia

Illustrations depicting scenes from the Ramayana and traditional Indian art, showcasing vibrant historical narratives and cultural rituals.

An Indian marriage painting from Lucknow, 18th century. Artist: Unknown

The Ramayana is a story as old as time and - at least in the Indian subcontinent and across much of Southeast Asia - of unparalleled popularity. More than two thousand three hundred years ago the scholar-poet Valmiki sat down to write his definitive epic of love and war. The poem Valmiki composed is styled the Ramayana, or 'Romance of Rama' in Sanskrit. In its present form, the Sanskrit version consists of some 24,000 couplets divided into seven books. The Reamker is the Khmer version of this epic and has an important influence on Cambodian dance, literature, art and drama.

Asia, Southeast Asia, Laos, Luang Prabang, mural

Lord Shiva dancing. Date/Period: 1700 - 1800. Painting. Height: 287 mm (11.29 in); Width: 207 mm (8.14 in). Author: UNKNOWN.

An Indian marriage painting from Lucknow, 18th century. Artist: Unknown

David and Abigail. Culture: British. Dimensions: H. 19 x W. 24 1/2 in. (48.3 x 62.2 cm). Date: mid-17th century.This panel was probably intended as a cushion cover. It illustrates scenes from the life of the biblical patriarch Abraham, as recounted in the Book of Genesis. The central scene shows Abraham being informed by a host of angels that his wife Sarah will bear him a son, despite her advanced age. Other scenes include Abraham banishing his servant Hagar and her son by Abraham, Ishmael (lower left corner), and Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Sarah's son Isaac, the act he was ordered by God to perform as a test of his faith (upper right corner).Biblical narratives were extremely popular subjects for seventeenth-century pictorial embroideries, and a number of other examples depicting the life of Abraham exist. The imagery of the Museum's example is derived from engravings after Maarten de Vos which first appeared in Gerard de Jode's 1579 illustrated bible Thesaurus Sacrarum Histori

Ancient Buddhist temple mural painting of the life of Buddha in Nonthaburi, Thailand

India, Tamil Nadu, Tiruparuthikunram, murals in Trailokyanatha Jeenaswami Temple, 15th century

A battle between animals, divs and Hindu deities. Gouache painting by an Indian artist, ca. 1600.

Ten-armed Devi annihilating demons. Date/Period: Between 1800 and 1820. Author: UNKNOWN.

Vishnu in aforest

Bakasura, the Crane Demon, Arrives in Brindavan: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu) ca. 1700 India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa) The gopas (cowherds) of Brindavan, peacefully herding their cows by a pond, are suddenly disrupted by Bakasura, one of the demons sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna.. Bakasura, the Crane Demon, Arrives in Brindavan: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu) 37931

Cave paintings; a group of female musicians and dancers and Buddhist monks () of Indo-African origin. Gouache painting by an Indian painter.

Canonization scroll of Li Zhong colophon dated 1641 Unidentified artist This painting, an unsigned work of a provincial atelier, is a rare example of popular religious art. Modeled on imperial commendation scrolls, with their ornamental borders of dragons chasing flaming pearls, the scroll illustrates the investiture of a local god into the Daoist pantheon. The first half of the scroll depicts the court of the Jade Emperor, supreme deity of popular Daoism. The enthroned emperor is flanked by four female attendants, four high officials, and two constellations of star deities, as well as guardians of the east and west, who are accompanied by their directional emblems, the dragon and tiger. Approaching this assembly is a file of haloed deities who have entered the sacred precincts through a pair of heavenly gates. The second half of the scroll depicts the entourage of the local god, including standardbearers with emblems of his status, a white charger, a palanquin with eight porters, guar

farbenfroh, Gemälde, Badal Mahal, Garh Palace, Komplex, Bundi, Rajasthan, Kunstwerk, Kulturerbe, Wandmalerei, dekorativ, königlich, traditionell, lebendig, kulturell, verziert, historisch, Erhaltung, Architektur, Chitrashala Bundi, Ummed Mahal, Bundi Mini Colourful paintings on the inner wall, Chitrashala, Garh Palace Complex, Bundi, Rajasthan LicenseRF Copyright: xZoonar.com/RealityImagesx 23317341

Fresco depicting the Adoration of the Magi, detail, Monastic Complex of Maulbronn (Unesco World Heritage List, 1993), Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

Bakasura, the Crane Demon, Arrives in Brindavan: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu). Culture: India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa). Dimensions: 7 5/8 x 14 in. (19.4 x 35.6 cm). Date: ca. 1700.The gopas (cowherds) of Brindavan, peacefully herding their cows by a pond, are suddenly disrupted by Bakasura, one of the demons sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Temple Banner, 19th century, W.19 x L.64 in., satin, silk, cotton, embroidery, China, 19th century

Murals painting krishna in chitrasala umaid mahal bundi rajasthan india Copyright: xSatishxParashar/DinodiaxPhotox

Thailand, Chiang Mai. Colorful murals painted in 1811 adorn Buddhist temple at Wat Pra Singh

Prince Vessantara Gives Away His White Elephant, Scene from Vessantara Jataka on Generosity. Thailand, circa 1860-1890. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor and gold on cloth

According to Chinese mythology, the Master (the priest Hsuan Chuang) and the Sun (the Monkey god) and other pilgrim companions were met at the capital by the emperor and his grateful court. This 1922 illustration depicts the return to the Chinese capital of the pilgrims.

Life of the Buddha, Buddha standing on a lotus, Ganda, Ananda & mango tree. 19th cen. Burma.

Parinirvana of Sakyamuni, the Historical Buddha, 14th century, Unknown Japanese, 61 × 41 15/16 in. (154.94 × 106.52 cm) (image only)85 × 48 1/2 in. (215.9 × 123.19 cm) (mount, without roller)87 × 51 1/2 in. (220.98 × 130.81 cm) (with roller), Ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan, 14th century, Tradition holds that on a moonlit night some 2,500 years ago, the historical Buddha, Sakyamuni, passed away, lying on a couch in a grove of holy sala trees in the Himalayan foothills. As this sacred painting shows, a diverse host of mournershumans, divine beings, all variety of animal lifewitnessed his passing. The Buddha had taught them that his death was not to be mourned. After all, he achieved the state of nirvana in this life, thus freeing himself from the endless cycle of rebirth and suffering. His death would mean the attainment of Parinirvana, a state of perfect bliss. Some of those in attendance could not comprehend his teaching, however, and can be seen wailing in grief.

Ceiling painting in the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Dalada Maligawa, Buddhist temple, Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka, Asia

The Marriage of Pradyumna and Rukmavati, page from a Bhagavata Purana, c. 1525-50. Northern India. Gum tempera and ink on paper; overall: 16.3 x 21.5 cm (6 7/16 x 8 7/16 in.). Pradyumna was the son of Krishna and an incarnation of the god of love. The scene of his marriage is in the upper register, where a brahmin priest to the right of the pole, wearing a white lower garment and looped topknot of hair, performs the ceremony. Their arrival at the ceremony is pictured below.The flattened spaces and bold variety of background colors are typical of a major strain of Indian paintings made before the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar (reigned 1556-1605), who catalyzed stylistic changes derived from exposure to Persian and European art forms.

Ganesha Leads Shiva and Durga in Procession. Culture: India (Rajasthan). Dimensions: 9 x 11 7/8 in. (22.9 x 30.2 cm). Date: 18th century.The elephant-headed god Ganesh holds a goad (ghada) and a bowl of sweets. Shiva, mounted on his bull, Nandi, deflects the Ganges River in an arch from the top of his head, while the goddess Durga, holding a trident in one of her four arms, rides her tiger mount. This colored drawing is probably a fragment of a long scroll. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

The Gopis Plead with Krishna to Return Their Clothing: Folio from "Isarda" Bhagavata Purana. Artist: Master of the "Isarda" Bhagavata Purana. Culture: North India (Delhi -Agra area). Dimensions: Image: 7 3/8 × 10 1/8 in. (18.7 × 25.7 cm). Date: ca. 1560-65.Perhaps the greatest of the pre-Mughal Hindu manuscripts known, this edition of the Bhagavata Purana is admired for its pictorial sophistication, its animated narration, and above all, its sheer joie de vivre. This painting captures the essence of the text, which recounts Krishna's amorous water-sports with the gopis (cowherds). Krishna sits in a tree, the robes of the women fluttering from his shoulder, as the dark lord reaches out to touch them, all and one together. They gaze with warm love-laden eyes and gesture devotion, praying for union with their lord. Hindu devotional worship (bhakti) had rarely been so passionately expressed in manuscript painting. Stylistically, this series evolved from the Caurapancasika group of paintin

Painting of rajput king marching with army, nathdwara, rajasthan, india, asia Copyright: xRajeshxVora/DinodiaxPhotox

Balinese calendar, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

The Jamia al-tawarikh, ('Compendium of Chronicles') or Universal History is an Iranian work of literature and history written by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani at the start of the 14th century.

Painting depicting a scene of figures making offerings, artefact from Cacaxtla (Tlaxcala, Mexico). Detail. Pre-Colombian Civilization, classical period 250 BC-900 AD.

Life of the Buddha, 19th cent. Ganda, Ananda and mango tree. BURMA- MYANMAR.

Ascension of Elijah/ Russian Icon/ c17th

This early 1900s illustration shows Aladdin and the magic lamp. The tale is a folktale and probably originated in the Middle East. His tale is often connected with and/or included in The Thousand and One Nights, or the Arabian Nights. This early 1900s illustration shows Sindbad the sailor telling tales to Sinbad the Landsman.

Ornaments on the wall of the red chapel Ho Phra None of Vat Xieng Thong at Luang Prabang, Laos

Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan (usually Wat Saket) dates back to the Ayutthaya era, when it was called Wat Sakae. King Rama I (1736 - 1809) or Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke renovated the temple and renamed it Wat Saket. The Golden Mount (Phu Khao Thong) is a steep hill inside the Wat Saket compound. It is not a natural outcrop, but an artificial hill built during the reign of Rama III (1787 - 1851) or King Jessadabodindra.

Krishna Dancing with Gopis in Vrindavan, Folio from a Balagopalastuti (Praise for the Young Lord of the Cowherds). India, Gujarat, circa 1450-1475. Books. Opaque watercolor, ink, and touches of gold and silver on paper

The Way into Eternal Life. Eghisabet (Armenian)

Pancham Ragini - a handmaiden of an enamoured couple rewards a musician. Marwar, 17th century. Black rule, red rule on orange leaf, 28.2 x 25.1cm.

RIZA'I 'ABBASI (16th c.). History of Koran or History of the Ancient Prophets and Kings. Qisas al-anbiyy. c. 1595. Fol. 132v. Solomon and Balqis, Queen of Sheba. Persian art. Miniature Painting. FRANCE. ëLE-DE-FRANCE. Paris. National Library.

Thirteen different gods perform a yagna, a fire sacrifice, an old vedic ritual where offerings are made to the god of fire, Agni. Gouache painting by an Indian artist.

Indian illustration showing the God Krishna, holding mount Govardhan. Indian, Mughal 1556-1605. Tempera on paper

Artistic representation of Buddhist philosophy of life on a wall in the Tawang monastery, Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Artistic representation of Buddhist philosophy of life on a wall in the Tawang monastery, Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Ghazan Khan studying the Koran in a tented mosque. Illustration of Rashid-ad-Din's Jami' at-tawarih. Tabriz, 1st quarter of 14th century. Water colours on paper. The inscription above the arch on the left, which is either the entrance or the Mihrab, reads 'God is Great', and the two tent poles are topped with finials reading 'Allah' in Arabic.

Ganesha Leads Shiva and Durga in Procession 18th century India (Rajasthan) The elephant-headed god Ganesh holds a goad (ghada) and a bowl of sweets. Shiva, mounted on his bull, Nandi, deflects the Ganges River in an arch from the top of his head, while the goddess Durga, holding a trident in one of her four arms, rides her tiger mount. This colored drawing is probably a fragment of a long scroll.. Ganesha Leads Shiva and Durga in Procession 72571

Krishna and the Gopis, Leaf from a Bhagavata Purana Series Indian. Krishna and the Gopis, Leaf from a Bhagavata Purana Series, ca. 1540. Opaque watercolor on paper, sheet: 6 7/8 x 9 1/8 in. (17.5 x 23.2 cm). Asian Art ca. 1540

Restored wall paintings Ramakia in Wat Phra Kaeo restored wall paintings Ramakia in Wat Phra Kaeo, Grosser Palast, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia

Some of the exterior walls of the buildings at the Wat Xieng Thong in the UNESCO world heritage town of Luang Prabang in Central Laos contain colorful mosaics.

Mughal miniature painting showing a General receiving the keys to a beseiged city, Indian 17th century

Ancient Buddhist temple mural painting of the life of Buddha, Thailand

Cambodia, Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Preah Prom Rath Monastery. Life of the Buddha. Siddhartha Gautama and the four sights of old-age, disease, death and a recluse. Cambodia.

Fourteen couples with sacrificial vessels perform a yagna, a fire sacrifice, an old vedic ritual where offerings are made to the god of fire, Agni. Gouache painting by an Indian artist.

View of Montserrat Mountain, 1694 - 1737 View of the Montserrat mountain with the monastery and various hermit cells. In the right corner a representation of Maria van Montserrat. Under the show a title in Latin, Spanish, Dutch and French. Print is part of an album. print maker: Amsterdampublisher: AmsterdamThe Hague paper etching Montserrat View of the Montserrat mountain with the monastery and various hermit cells. In the right corner a representation of Maria van Montserrat. Under the show a title in Latin, Spanish, Dutch and French. Print is part of an album. print maker: Amsterdampublisher: AmsterdamThe Hague paper etching Montserrat

Gold pagodas in Wat Phra Kaew murals, Grand Palace; Bangkok, Thailand

Van Castle, taken by Suleyman on his return from Tebriz in Persia, ms H1524, p 271A, Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Bahadur Khan17th century Son of Usman Khan Babi Junagadh Gujarat India Copyright: xDilipxRajgor/DinodiaxPhotox

Artist S. Rajam, vedas, hindu belief, hindu, hinduism, art, himalayan academy art, sun, shiva, musician, song, music, crop, harvest, agriculture, ancient, vedic Copyright: xHimalayanxAcademy/DinodiaxPhotox

Parinirvana of Sakyamuni, the Historical Buddha, 1682, Unknown Japanese, 86 3/4 × 61 in. (220.35 × 154.94 cm) (image)94 1/2 × 71 3/4 in. (240.03 × 182.25 cm) (mount), Ink and color on silk, 17th century, At the moment of his death, the Buddha was said to enter nirvana. Around him are his disciples in monks robes, a group of five bodhisattvas with golden-yellow skin, guardian deities, monks, laymen, and animal beings. From above, the Buddhas mother Maya descends with her entourage. All are shown expressing profound grief, and even the usually fierce, red-skinned Niō tumble in distress at the front of the dais.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Indochina Mural Painting of Vat Prah-Ko, Royal Pagoda or Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha called "Silver Pagoda" () Or the gallery forming the cloister delimiting the courtyard of the pagoda () , Léon Busy in Indochina (French - Phnom Penh , Cambodge , Indochine Peinture murale du Vat Prah-keo , pagode royale ou pagode du Bouddha d' Emeraude dite « pagode d' argent » ( ) ou de la galerie formant cloître délimitant la cour de la pagode ( )). Horse, Buddhism, represented animal , Fantastic animal, Hinduism, Cloister, Pagoda, Painting, Weapon, Palace , Castle, Religion , Animal , Art , Habitat , Architecture, legendary

Wall painting of marriage of Ram Sita in in Shree Ram Temple, Tulsibag, Pune, Maharashtra, India Copyright: xNitinxKelvalkar/DinodiaxPhotox

Descent of protector deities to the earth. unknown, painter

Detail from a 19th century enamel and glazed picture depicting the Hindu legend of the Ramayana. The Ramayana is one of the two epic Hindu poems, the other being the Mahabharata. The Ramayana describes a love story between Rama, an ancient King, and Sita, who is captured by Ravan, the King of Ceylon. Rama lays siege to Ceylon and wins back Sita

Lord Krishna playing flute and gopi on ceramic tiles Copyright: xBrijeshxSharma/DinodiaxPhotox

Balarāma, Subhadrā and Jagannāth in three shrines surmounted by winged domes. Oil painting by a painter of Puri, Odisha, ca. 1880/1910.

Vishnu reclining on the ocean with Brahma springing from a lotus growing from Vishnu's navel with attendants. Coloured transfer lithograph.

Painting of guardian deities, Suguksa Temple, Korea. Colours on canvas, 1795. Korean civilization, Choson period, 18th century.

Album leaf, late 17th century, Unknown, 53 1/2 x 87 5/16 in. (135.89 x 221.77 cm) (outer frame), Pigments on vellum, Ethiopia, 17th century, Christian art has a long history in Ethiopia, where it developed its own characteristics after the new faith became the state religion in the 350s. These two seventeenth-century paintings on parchment are part of a larger ensemble of forty-four lavishly illuminated leaves featuring Ethiopian saints and scenes from the Hebrew scriptures and the Christian Bible. The illustrations are painted in the style known as the First Gondarene style, after the city of Gondar that served for several centuries as the countrys capital. The style places the figures, finely drawn and brightly colored (predominantly in red, orange, yellow, and some green), against an uncolored, neutral background. The figures are animated by their gestures and eye contact with one another. The two leaves selected here show the Arrest of Christ by four Roman soldiers in the Garden o

Wall painting of marriage of Ram Sita in in Shree Ram Temple , Tulsibag , Pune , Maharashtra , India

Murals- Epic Ramayana-Wall Paintings in Ramasamy Temple at Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India- Rama learning to ride horse and Elephant. Artist Unknown

The Ramayana is a story as old as time and - at least in the Indian subcontinent and across much of Southeast Asia - of unparalleled popularity. More than two thousand three hundred years ago the scholar-poet Valmiki sat down to write his definitive epic of love and war. The poem Valmiki composed is styled the Ramayana, or 'Romance of Rama' in Sanskrit. In its present form, the Sanskrit version consists of some 24,000 couplets divided into seven books. The Ramakien is the Thai version of this epic and has an important influence on Thai literature, art and drama. It is regarded as the National Epic of Thailand. Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha); full official name Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. It is located within the precincts of the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of Ki

The Jamia al-tawarikh, ('Compendium of Chronicles') or Universal History is an Iranian work of literature and history written by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani at the start of the 14th century.

This early 1900s illustration shows Aladdin and the magic lamp. The tale is a folktale and probably originated in the Middle East. His tale is often connected with and/or included in The Thousand and One Nights, or the Arabian Nights. This early 1900s illustration shows Sindbad the sailor telling tales to Sinbad the Landsman.

Thangka painting of the Buddha´s death Parinirvana, Bhaktapur, Nepal, Asia

Details of wood carving in a temple, Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan, Myanmar

CHINA, Chongqing Province, Fengdu. Fengdu Ghost City / Mingshan- Souvenir Art.

Symbols of the Chakravartin: Folio from a Digambara Manuscript, Possibly the Shalibhadra late 17th century India (Rajasthan, Marwar) Jina's are routinely eulogized in terms of kingship and are assigned the regalia and symbolic attributes of a "universal ruler," or chakravartin. Here, the symbols of divine kingshipthe elephant, horse, umbrella, weapons, conch, and fire altarare interspersed with five seated figures in a grid pattern.. Symbols of the Chakravartin: Folio from a Digambara Manuscript, Possibly the Shalibhadra 37932

Shinpan kameido tenmangu keidai no zu, A new print of inside Kameido Tenmangu Shrine., Tamagawa, Shucho, active 1789-1801, artist, between 1795 and 1801, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 23.9 x 37.4 cm., Print shows many people crossing the bridge to, and on the grounds of, the Kameido Tenmangu Shrine.

Shadow Puppet (Wayang Kulit) of Sugriwa, from the set KyaiNugroho. Maker: Gendeng (Desa) Maker: Ki Kertiwanda Maker: Ki Bekel Prawirasucitra

Shadow Puppet (Wayang Kulit) of Anila, from the set KyaiNugroho. Maker: Pujung (Desa) Maker: Ki Kertiwanda Maker: Ki Bekel Prawirasucitra

So the Turggous women pock. Turk chapel and children. Sheet 2 of the Turk Apposition of Zacharias Wehme, 1581-1582 (copy of a contemporary. Originals). Ink, water and top colors, z. T. silver and gold habit; 33.7 x 102.4 cm. Dresden: Slub mscr.dresd.j.2.a

Detail of Thai Yai Shan men, part of the murals of the Sang Thong Tales, painted in the late 19th century, Viharn Laikam at Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai...

Painted jade women, on a piece of Chinese furniture, Xian, China

Procession on Pardon at Perros-Guirec, 1891. Maurice Denis (French, 1870-1943). Oil on canvas; unframed: 61 x 40.6 cm (24 x 16 in.). While the parades following ceremonies dedicated to saints known as pardon processions are traditionally silent, Denis often spoke of his work in musical terms using "rhythm" and "harmony" to describe color and composition. This painting embodies rhythm through the repetition of figural groupings and the movement of the procession. Harmony can be seen in the use of complementary colors that satisfy the eye when paired together.

A ruler enthroned defending a fortress from the invading British. Gouache drawing.

Thirunilagandar seventeenth century mural in Nataraj temple ceiling at Chidambaram Tamil Nadu India Copyright: xMxAmirtham/DinodiaxPhotox

Russian icon with scene from russian history, defense of Novgorod by anonymous painter, tempera on panel, 16th century, Russia, Solvychegodsk, Museum of History and Art, 164, 8x130

Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram Shah Jahan I (1592 -1666), or Shah Jahan, from the Persian meaning king of the world, was the fifth Mughal ruler in India and a favourite of his legendary grandfather Akbar the Great. He is best known for commissioning the Phadshahnamah as a chronicle of his reign, and for the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Under Shah Jahan, the Mughal Empire attained its highest union of strength and magnificence. The opulence of Shah Jahans court and his famous Peacock Throne was the wonder of all the European travelers and ambassadors. His political efforts encouraged the emergence of large centers of commerce and crafts-such as Lahore, Delhi, Agra and Ahmedabad-linked by roads and waterways to distant places and ports. He moved the capital from Agra to Delhi. Under Shah Jahan's rule, the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi were built, the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, sections of the Lahore Fort and his father's mausoleum.

View of the Issuance of the Constitution March 1889 Baiju Kunitoshi Japanese. View of the Issuance of the Constitution 55550

Image from a Set of Initiation Cards (Tsakali) 1301-1500 Tibet. Ink and watercolor on paper .

The thirty-seven nats 35. Shingón nat. 36. Shingwá nat.. Illustrations. 1906. General Research Division. Religion , Burma, Thrones, Girls , Burma

Thai manuscript on elephants, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

CODICE TRUJILLO DEL PERU - TOMO II E 172 - DANZA DE LA DEGOLLACION - ACUARELA - SIGLO XVIII. Author: MARTINEZ COMPAÑON BALTASAR. Location: PALACIO REAL-BIBLIOTECA. MADRID. SPAIN.

Artist S. Rajam, woman, hindu belief, hindu, hinduism, art, himalayan academy art, garlands, housewife, hindu woman, home, domestic, housekeeping, washing Copyright: xHimalayanxAcademy/DinodiaxPhotox

Miniature paintings of kamasutra, india, asia Copyright: xRupinderxKhullar/DinodiaxPhotox

The Ramayana is a story as old as time and - at least in the Indian subcontinent and across much of Southeast Asia - of unparalleled popularity. More than two thousand three hundred years ago the scholar-poet Valmiki sat down to write his definitive epic of love and war. The poem Valmiki composed is styled the Ramayana, or 'Romance of Rama' in Sanskrit. In its present form, the Sanskrit version consists of some 24,000 couplets divided into seven books. The Ramakien is the Thai version of this epic and has an important influence on Thai literature, art and drama. It is regarded as the National Epic of Thailand. Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha); full official name Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. It is located within the precincts of the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of Ki

"The Execution of the Brahmins", Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna second quarter 16th century This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavor of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.. "The Execution of the Brahmins", Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna 453153

Wat Phra Kaew temple. Scene from the Ramakien (Thai Ramayana) in a mural. Painting. Bangkok. Thailand.

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