14.05.2016 Views

ARTS OF INDIA

1V1JGg0

1V1JGg0

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

37<br />

AN ILLUSTRATION TO THE SURSAGAR<br />

<strong>OF</strong> SURDAS<br />

MEWAR, NORTH <strong>INDIA</strong>, CIRCA 1750<br />

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper,<br />

the various scenes set in a luxuriant landscape,<br />

Shiva seated in a rocky cave at top, Krishna<br />

within a forest hut below, worshipped by ladies, a<br />

procession with a ruler on horseback in the centre,<br />

the blind sage and author Surdas depicted against<br />

a red ground pavilion in the upper right hand<br />

corner, fve lines of devanagari text within a yellow<br />

cartouche at top, in yellow, black and white rules<br />

with red borders, loss in upper left border<br />

12æ x 13æin. (32.3 x 34.8cm.)<br />

£5,000-8,000 $7,200-11,000<br />

€6,300-10,000<br />

PROVENANCE:<br />

Acquired before 1991.<br />

This scene juxtaposes Krishna and Radha in their<br />

forest grove with the divine couple of Vishnu and<br />

Parvati in their mountain abode. For a similar<br />

slightly earlier illustration to the Sursagar dated<br />

to circa 1725-35 see Andrew Topsfeld, Court<br />

Painting at Udaipur, Zurich, 2001, no.124, p.149.<br />

37<br />

38<br />

THE SWING FESTIVAL: SHRI BIHARIJI<br />

WORSHIPPED BY EIGHT LADIES<br />

RAJASTHAN, NORTH <strong>INDIA</strong>, SECOND HALF<br />

18TH CENTURY<br />

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper,<br />

the icons of Shri Bihariji and his consort stand<br />

on a swing, eight ladies around, two holding fy<br />

whisks, one with a large fan, the scene takes place<br />

in a luxuriant landscape inhabited by peacocks, a<br />

silver pond with lotuses in the foreground, within<br />

black rules and wide red borders, the reverse with<br />

identifcation inscription in devanagari script<br />

8¡ x 12Ωin. (21.3 x 31.8cm.)<br />

£3,000-4,000 $4,300-5,700<br />

€3,800-5,000<br />

PROVENANCE:<br />

Acquired before 1991.<br />

38<br />

39<br />

INDRAJIT <strong>OF</strong> ORCCHA DURING THE<br />

SWING FESTIVAL<br />

DATIA, NORTH <strong>INDIA</strong>, CIRCA 1753<br />

Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper,<br />

the maharaja wears bright yellow robes and<br />

turban, seated on a dais under an awning, he holds<br />

a rose in his left hand, with the right he pulls a cord<br />

enabling the shrine of Krishna and Radha to swing,<br />

courtiers seated behind him, musicians playing<br />

music before him, a fne garden and banana trees<br />

behind, peacocks frolicking by a silver pond in the<br />

foreground, in black borders above and below<br />

11Ω x 16æin. (29 x 42.5cm.)<br />

£2,000-3,000 $2,900-4,300<br />

€2,500-3,700<br />

PROVENANCE:<br />

Sotheby’s, New York, 25 March 1987, lot 58.<br />

26

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!