Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c8.s28.4

v2.c8.s28.4

The subject XLVIII *a* represents a palace scene in which a Nāga king is shown with his consort and two female attendants, one of whom is a *chaurī*-bearer and the other a maid-of-honour, for she is sitting close to the king.⁴ The latter holds a vessel like a wine cup in his right hand, but the serenity of his face and the gesture of his left hand show that he is talking on some serious subject to the *Nāgī*, who is listening with rapt attention to him. The pose and features of the *Nāgī* are very beautiful, and the expression of her face conveys a double kind of devotion, that of a wife as well as that of a disciple, for the king in those days was not only the domestic chief but also the religious lord. The expressions on the faces of the two attendants as well show feelings of calm and repose. It is interesting to note that even in a scene of *amor*, where the husband holds a cup of wine and the wife is lovingly reclining on his arm and knee, the religious element changes the general effect of the picture.