Plate Inscribed with Flying Figure of Hanuman Holding a Flag, Mace and Spear / Artist Unknown, India, Rajasthan
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1978/2.89
- Title
- Plate Inscribed with Flying Figure of Hanuman Holding a Flag, Mace and Spear
- Artist Nationality
- Indian
- Medium and Support
- copper
- Object Creation Date
- 18th century - 19th century
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- India (nation)
- Rajasthan (state)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- India (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- Rajasthan (state)
- Style/Group/Movement
- copper
- Dimensions
- 23.5 cm x 18 cm (9 1/4 in. x 7 1/16 in.)
- Century
- 18th-19th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Ritual Objects
- Primary Object Type
- figure
- Secondary Object Classification
- Metalwork
- Secondary Object Type
- figure
- Physical Description
- Hanuman is depicted with a human body and a monkey head. The image is incised on the plate and his body is entirely textured with characters in the devanagari script. Often merely the letter ‘r’ designating the god Rama with whom he is associated. He is in a striding posture and there are a number of sections of text scattered around the image. At his feet is a human figure walking in the opposite direction. He holds a double flag consisting of two triangular shapes facing him in his left hand along with a thin club. One appears to emanating from his mouth? His right hand is lifted with an arrow above it and his tail curves behind him. There is also a small altar depicting the two feet of Rama in the area between his outstretched leg and the end of a scarf wrapped around his body.
- Subject Matter
- The monkey Hanuman, often referred to as a monkey god, figures prominently in the epic, the Ramayana, telling the story of the incarnation of Vishnu and his war against the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. He is the most important of the monkey hosts and served important function in the story. He is often sculpted to fit into a set of sculptures depicting the god Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, and his brother Lakshman and his wife Sita. The groups sometimes signify the coronation of the god Rama, which is the end of the story, but sometimes the grouping is of them all standing. He has a devotional following of his own and is usually depicted as a human with a monkey’s head. In this engraving he takes a completely religious role being made up of devotional phrases.
- Secondary Keywords
- animals and creatures
- associated concepts
- clubs (weapons)
- mammals
- named gods and goddesses
- objects
- objects we use
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- people by state or condition
- percussive weapons
- religion
- religions
- religions and religious concepts
- spears
- subject matter
- weaponry
- weapons
- weapons and ammunition
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 949 x 1289
- File Size
- 151 KB
- Record
- 1978/2.89
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1978-sl-2.89/1978_2.89.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
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IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1978-SL-2.89:1978_2.89.JPG
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- Full citation
-
"Plate Inscribed with Flying Figure of Hanuman Holding a Flag, Mace and Spear; Artist Unknown, India, Rajasthan." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1978-sl-2.89/1978_2.89.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 21, 2024.