INDIA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, 18TH CENTURY

Hanuman, the divine king of monkeys, is most often depicted in a heroic stride, his right hand raised and his tail curving in an arc to gracefully encircle his figure. As here, the end of his tail may be adorned with a bell, which according to Madhva philosophy represents Mukhya Prana, the divine being who controls ethereal sound; see P. Lutgendorf, Hanuman's Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey, 2007, p.72. In the final chapters of the Ramayana, in order to serve his master Rama, to whom he is supremely devoted, Hanuman must make a giant leap from India to Lanka, where he will bring a message of hope to the captive Sita (see lot 286). As a divine being, Hanuman has the power to augment or diminish his size at will, and so he grows to such a stature that he can span the ocean with a single stride. Upon his return, he commands his monkey army to build a stone bridge to Lanka, whereupon they along with Rama and Lakshmana defeat the demon Ravana in the great battle that liberates Sita (see lot 309).