Sita and the Sacred Monkey

A large monkey climbing a rock overlooking choppy waters presents a ruby ring to a young woman, while a constrictor snake and a flying lizard appear to observe their exchange. The illustration adapts an episode from the Ramayana.

Each plate in this volume was printed twice: once within the relevant passage, framed by an ornamental border, and once unbordered in a separate portfolio bound at the rear, a practice common to luxury editions of the period.

The caption reads in the original French: Bondissant au-dessus de la mer, le singe sacré communiqua le message à la belle Sita éplorée.

(Click on any high-resolution link to view the unblurred image.)