Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Vessantara Jataka, Chapter 3: Vessantara Gives Away the Chariot
(Southeast Asia )
The Vessantara Jataka emphasizes the virtue of charity through the story of a prince. In the scene we see the prince, Vessantara, who has been exiled from his father’s kingdom, after he has set off in a royal chariot with his wife and his two children to Mount Vankagiri. According to part of the tale, the prince willingly gave away the royal chariot horses to four greedy men. Fortunately, the gods were looking on when that happened and transformed themselves into golden deer—notice in this image the impressive antler on the animal’s head—to pull the family’s chariot instead.
The artist depicts the figures and chariot in traditional Thai style, but the landscape demonstrates the influence of European conventions like shading and a desire to show receding space that were brought to the region over the past few centuries by Europeans drawn there by economic and political interests.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Southeast Asian Art Collection [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 2002, by gift.
Geographies
Thailand (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 17 1/2 x W: 21 5/8 in. (44.5 x 55 cm)
Credit Line
Gift from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Southeast Asian Art Collection, 2002
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
35.233
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Related Objects
Vessantara Jataka, Chapter 4: Vessantara, Maddi, Jali, and Kanha Enter the Forest
Vessantara Jataka, Chapter 5: The Woodsman Cataputta's Dogs Send Jujaka Up a Tree
Vessantara Jataka, Chapter 7: Jujaka and the Hermit Accala
Vessantara Jataka, Chapter 8: Jali at Vessantara's Feet
Vessantara Jataka, Chapter 11: While Jujaka Sleeps the Children are Cared For
Vessantara Jataka, Chapter 5: The Brahmin Jujaka with his wife Amittapana
Vessantara Jataka, Chapters 12 & 13: Jali's Army Recovers Vessantara and Returns to the Capital
