Battle Scene, folio from a set of Chitrakathā paintings

In this dramatic scene from an unidentified mythic tale, a hero and heroine on a chariot are being attacked by giant asura, or demons. At the left, an asura kneels, using his shield to protect himself from the hero’s sword blow as he prepares to hurl a rock at his foes. To the right, another demon, his fangs bared, attacks the pair from behind. The hero, his shield at the ready, seems to battle both simultaneously, chopping at the demon in front while striking the one behind with a mace.

Bold and colorful images like this, known as chitrakathā, or picture stories, were made in southern India in the 19th century and used as illustrations in public storytelling performances by a caste of wandering storytellers called Chitrakathis. Made in large sets of images, they typically represented scenes from the Hindu epics the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata, or tales of the legendary king Harishchandra. Because the illustrations were often based on local versions of the epics, specific identification of subjects is difficult today.