#ankush

A Prince Riding an Elephant Holding an Ankush

The ankush has been a symbol of Indian royalty for many centuries. This painting, done in the imperial Mughal court in the 1600s, shows a young prince using an ornate ankush to guide an elephant through the forest.

The Young Emperor Akbar Riding on a Parade Elephant © Museum für Islamische Kunst, bpk Bildagentur, Art Resource NY

Sultan Muhammad 'Adil Shah and Ikhlas Khan Riding an Elephant

Artist: Haidar 'Ali (Indian)

Artist: Ibrahim Khan (Indian)

Date: ca. 1645

Indian School, 19th Century

Shadow figure - Princely rider on a war elephant, 1970.  Karnataka; India (South); Asia / Parchment; cut out, painted.  

The rider carries an elephant goad (ankush) and wears a turban. The elephant wears armour and spikes. A second rider appears to be provoking the elephant with a spear. Shadow puppets from Karnataka are made of thin, brightly painted parchment, which lets light in during a performance, thus allowing the colours to come alive. The eyes of the figures are prominently depicted. Demonic figures from Karnataka sometimes wear real hair. The characters are drawn from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Apart from these, regional characters such as jesters and buffoons also appear in a play. Text: Nandini Thilak.

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