Shadow puppet of the monkey hero Hanuman in the guise of
the demon Ravana’s heir riding a chariot into battle, from the Thai
version of the epic of Rama
approx. 1800–1900
Thailand
Rawhide, pigments, and bamboo
Gift from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Southeast Asian Art Collection,
2006.27.115.3

Here Rama’s monkey ally, Hanuman, has tricked Ravana, the villainous ten-headed demon king of Lanka, into believing that he would like to switch sides and battle Rama. Ravana has rewarded Hanuman by making him his heir and has sent him into battle. Here Hanuman is dressed in a high crown and royal garb showing his new, princely rank, instead of in his usual costume, a tiara and short trousers. While Hanuman rides into battle, the gesture of his left hand, thumb to chin, indicates that he is thinking, or perhaps scheming.