Ajanta: The Colour and Monochrome Reproductions of the Ajanta Frescoes Based on Photography v2.c8.s5.13

v2.c8.s5.13

The artist's love of humour is better illustrated in subjects XI a and b. In the former, we see a pair of wine-bibbers, one of whom is apparently a foreigner, as shown by his features and dress. His sunken cheeks and the tuft of beard on his chin have given him a somewhat comic appearance, and although he is offering a cup of wine to his boon companion, the latter, judging by the gesture of his hand, feels more inclined to pull his beard than to take the cup. The dress of the foreigner is also more or less in the style of the jokers of the present day. He is wearing a conical skull cap with a tassel, which is seen hanging behind his head. The coat and trousers are tight, and on his feet are socks with flaring blue stripes. A scarf appears to be tied round the neck, for its borders are seen flying at the back of the figure.