Enlarge ImageProcession of Ram Sing II of Kota and His Son at Kota
Former kingdom of Kotah, about 1850
Opaque watercolor on paper
© V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Ram Singh II, the ruler of Kotah, a small state in northern India, rides proudly on a richly adorned elephant through the streets of his capital. His high status is shown by the green halo, his many necklaces, and the attendants who wave ceremonial fly whisks around him. A dancer entertains him by performing on a platform mounted on his elephant's tusks. Other attendants and musicians follow on foot, and the women of the city watch from balconies and rooftops.