Tumbaash or 4 in Harmony

Tumbaash. Acrylic on canvas 50 X 37 cm. 2012 

We Mongols like to put in altar besides god statues and thangkas this painting of Tumbaash or 4 in harmony. This painting originated from ancient Indian tale about 4 animals, who could harvest fruits from tall fruit tree thank to their friendship and collaboration.
One nice day 4 animals like an elephant, monkey, hare and a pigeon collected around a fruit tree. They discussed who was the eldest. The elephant told them when he was young he rested in the shadow of the tree as he remember. But monkey told that he could rest also in shadow of the tree but it was a bit too small to climb on it. Then a hare told them that he could just hide him behind this tree as it was a bush or small tree. In his turn a pigeon told them that he could enjoy a fruit in this place and dropped the seed, which was grown like this tree. So it was cleared who was the eldest. The others respected the pigeon as the eldest. Since then these 4 animals helped each other and respected each other as brothers sharing fruits from the tree.
Actually, this tale is about philosophy of living in peace or in harmony, which lacked in Mongolian history. But our people like the history and worship these 4 animals since the time, when Buddhism adopted as main religion among Mongols.