Surmananda Ragaputra of Hindol, from a Ragamala (c. 1750): Art, History and Details

Surmananda Ragaputra of Hindol, from a Ragamala (c. 1750) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Two warriors hold their swords and shields moments before they begin a competitive sword fight. They are equally matched with the same weapons; both sit at the same level on a carpet in front of big cushions under the same type of flowering tree. The only differences are their respective color schemes. One wonders about the outcome of the fight. The mood of excitement and pent-up vigor characterize musical performances of the same name.

Object facts

• Title: Surmananda Ragaputra of Hindol, from a Ragamala
• Date: c. 1750
• Culture: Northern India, Pahari kingdoms
• Type: Painting
• Technique: Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
• Dimensions: Overall: 23.8 x 19.1 cm (9 3/8 x 7 1/2 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 2002.116

A detail from the museum

The vertical yellow marks on their foreheads reveal that they are followers of the Hindu god Vishnu.

Collection credit

Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.