Ragamala Paintings

Ornate Indian miniature paintings illustrating classic tales and melodies, rich in vibrant colors and complex narratives.

Krishna stands on a blue and gold dotted background against an orange background with a sash in his raised arms. The representation is framed by a narrow border in night blue with flower and leaf tendrils in white and gold, on the two vertical edges and the upper edge is bordered with red, the lower right corner is torn off over a large part of the leaf., Dancing Krishna, draughtsman: anonymous, Pahari, 1850, paper, brush, brush, h 375 mm × w 245 mm, h 350 mm × w 220 mm

Megha Mallar Raga, Folio from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies). India, Rajasthan, Bikaner, 1605-1606. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

"Rustam rescues Bizhan from the Pit", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) 1560-80 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi. "Rustam rescues Bizhan from the Pit", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) 451782

The handmaiden again appeals for justice and the prince is led to the place of execution for the third time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night, c. 1560. Gujarati (Indian, active 1550s-1590s). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; painting only: 12.1 x 9.9 cm (4 3/4 x 3 7/8 in.); overall: 20 x 13.4 cm (7 7/8 x 5 1/4 in.).

"The Wedding of Siyavush and Farangis", Folio 185v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp. Artist: Painting attributed to Qasim ibn 'Ali (active ca. 1525-60). Author: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (935-1020). Dimensions: Painting: H. 11 3/8 in. (28.9 cm) W. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm)Page: H. 18 5/8 in. (47.3 cm)W. 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm)Mat: H. 22 in. (55.9 cm)W. 16 in. (40.6 cm). Workshop director: Mir Musavvir (active 1525-60). Date: ca. 1525-30.Circumstances of his father's making force Siyavush, son of the Iranian shah Kai Kavus, into exile in Turan, the neighboring power and chief enemy of Iran. There he marries Farangis, daughter of the king Afrasiyab, and fathers the future shah of Iran, Kai Khusrau. In this painting, the couple celebrate their wedding night inside a pavilion, while musicians serenade them from the terrace. Mir Musavvir, the artist who supervised this painting, was known for his romantic temperament, expressed by the lovers' embrace and the merry entertainers. Mus

The merchant of Tirmiz takes the wise parrot and myna to Ubaid, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-second Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 12 x 10.2 cm (4 3/4 x 4 in.). The merchant of Tirmiz hurries home with a parrot’s cage clutched in his right hand and a myna bird’s in his left. His friend, dressed in orange, has suggested that these wise birds can offer advice to the merchant’s son, Ubaid, who has becomes excessively infatuated with his wife.

The Battle Ibrahim, Detached Leaf from the Epic of The Twelve Uprisings The Battle Ibrahim, Detached Leaf from the Epic of The Twelve Uprisings, 19th century. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, 9 1/2 x 5 3/4 in. Asian Art 19th century

Hindola Raga, Page from a Dispersed Ragamala Series Indian. , ca. 1830. Opaque watercolors and metallic paints on paper, sheet: 10 1/2 x 6 7/8 in. (26.7 x 17.5 cm). Asian Art ca. 1830

A woman sits on a carpet and paints a portrait of her lover watched by another woman. Gouache painting by an Indian painter.

Krishna stands on a blue and gold dotted background against an orange background with a sash in his raised arms. The representation is framed by a narrow border in night blue with flower and leaf tendrils in white and gold, on the two vertical edges and the upper edge is bordered with red, the lower right corner is torn off over a large part of the leaf., Dancing Krishna, draughtsman: anonymous, Pahari, 1850, paper, brush, brush, h 375 mm × w 245 mm, h 350 mm × w 220 mm

The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the fortieth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot), c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 8.9 x 10.1 cm (3 1/2 x 4 in.). As Khujasta prepares to leave to spend the night with her lover, she is stopped by Tuti the parrot. Tuti begins to tell her the story of a merchants wife, named Shahr-Arai, who tricked her husband in order to carry out an affair. The story is set in Nishapur, a city in northeast Iran.

Against the black background of a room in a palace, a young man kneels in front of a lady on a tabouret, she sits with her back towards him, her arms raised above her head that has been turned towards the man, at the top of the depiction three turban domes and a reflection of them on the white edge of the roof, at the bottom of the depiction a geometric pattern with two carafes in the corners. Around the representation a border in orange-red trimmed with a white piping in red frame lines, the roof runs into the border, Dervarata ragini., draughtsman: anonymous, Sirohi, (possibly), c. 1690, paper, brush, h 199 mm × w 143 mm

Krishna Vallat Radha, Anonymous, 1800 - 1820 Indian miniature. drawing For a white palace, Radha sits on a yellow rug, her head bent over on a raised knee while Krishna runs away from her on the left. To the show a dark blue (or black) Rand with flower and tergotif in white and gold, around it a wide pink with red-speckled leaf edge and red framework lines. Kangra paper brush

Frosts with flower sprays on a terrace. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1790 - 1810. Place: Shorapur. Measurements: h 396 mm × w 280 mm; h 251 mm × w 203 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Akbar sitting on his throne, Anonymous, 1675 - 1700 drawing. Indian miniature The Mughal Keizer Akbar, sitting on his throne in front of his palace in the palace garden. paper. deck paint. gouache (paint) brush

Folio from an Unidentified Manuscript: Miniature Painting Folio from an Unidentified Manuscript: Miniature Painting, 17th century. Opaque watercolors on paper, Overall: 5 11/16 x 3 1/16 in. (14.4 x 7.8 cm). Arts of the Islamic World 17th century

Nawab Mir Qasim Ali Khan van Bengal, Anonymous, c. 1755 - c. 1765 Indian miniature Nawab (governor) Mir Qasim sitting under a canopy, water pipe in hand, and two servants and a girl with a musical instrument. Murshidabad paper. deck paint. gouache (paint) brush historical persons. ruler, sovereign. water-pipe, hookah, narghile. string instruments (plucked) Bengal

Resting frost under a tree. A representation of a resting frost under a tree, while his horse bites a dogy animal in the neck; Above and below the show four columns text in Persian handwriting, with frame lines in black, gold and red. The leaf all around is painted with golden flower and leaf motifs, the narrow right edge in ornament, the left lower corner shielded and unpainted. Presentation, text and magazine are a whole.

Painting. Date/Period: 1001/1100. Paper, watercolour and gold. Width: 27.3 cm. Height: 33.3 cm. Author: UNKNOWN.

The husband berates his wife for purchasing gravel instead of sugar, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; painting only: 11.7 x 10.2 cm (4 5/8 x 4 in.); overall: 20 x 14.4 cm (7 7/8 x 5 11/16 in.). After a brief romantic encounter with a merchant, an unfaithful wife returns home to discover that the merchant's clerk replaced her sugar with gravel. Her husband demanded to know why she brought him a bag of dirt. In response, the wily adulteress concocts a quick lie that he readily accepts.

Jhujhar Singh on Horseback. Artist: Attributed to Dalchand. Culture: India (Rajasthan, Jodhpur). Dimensions: Approx. 8 x 8 in. (20.3 x 20.3 cm). Date: ca. 1720-30.An inscription on the verso of this painting identifies "Rathor Jhujhar Singh, son of Sujan Singh from the village of Phluyai Phulya?." Jhujhar Singh was a minor landowning nobleman (thakur) of Marwar. He is shown armed with a lance as well as a bow and arrow and seated on a beautiful, dappled gray horse. In front of him is an attendant, also carrying a bow and arrow. The figures are set on a narrow, solid-colored band and backed by a uniform, warm sage green tone that is topped by a similar narrow band of sky. The overall formulation of such equestrian portraits derives from Mughal prototypes, as do the naturalistic rendering of the garments, the animal, and the portraits and the sage green background. But the manner in which the painting is composed--with the horse's tail, the tip of the spear, and the extremities of the

An Amorous Couple, Probably Raja Mahendra Pal of Basohli (r. 1806-13) with a Favorite Queen, c. 1810. Northern India, Jammu and Kashmir, Pahari Kingdom of Basohli. Color on paper; image: 18.5 x 12.1 cm (7 5/16 x 4 3/4 in.); page: 21.6 x 15 cm (8 1/2 x 5 7/8 in.). On a terrace outside a royal chamber, a couple dressed in noble garments are making love. The man has loosened his jama in passion while his consorts gold blouse has been thrown on the red carpet. Thin clouds appear to gather above the golden rays of the evening sun in the clear sky.

Malavagaudi Ragini, Page from a Jaipur Ragamala Set 1745-1770 Rajasthan. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper .

The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Eleventh Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot), c. 1560. Banavari 2 (Indian, active 1550s-1590s). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; painting only: 7.7 x 10.1 cm (3 1/16 x 4 in.); overall: 20.1 x 13.6 cm (7 15/16 x 5 3/8 in.).

A sick man surrounded by his family. Date: 18th century. Origin: India. Period: Mughal dynasty. Color and gold on paper. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

The lower half of the sheet shows the representation of a couple in a palace, above that two vertical columns with text in blocks and below that also text in two columns, running through the back. Two columns of text on the front and back in old-Persian writing, recto at the top a kind of hopscotch shape with wide strips and two blocks next to each other of which the blocks are described in the middle part opposite each other, the blocks also come back halfway the back, around the frame lines another piece of leaf and then again frame lines, leaf corners and side torn and irregular., Pair on roller cushions in a palace with two servants behind them, draughtsman: anonymous, Kasjmir, 1790 - 1810, paper, brush, brush, h 203 mm × w 125 mm, h 154 mm × w 92 mm

Maharaja Sher Singh (Reigned 1841-1843). India, Panjab, Jalandhar, circa 1840-1845. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper

Shahnameh. The Book of Kings. 16th c. Sohrab Looking at the Tent of Rostam. Gouache on paper. F11v. Persian art. Safavid period. Miniature Painting. FRANCE. PICARDY. OISE. Chantilly. MusŽe CondŽ (CondŽ Museum).

Maharana Amar Singh II Riding a Jodhpur Horse ca. 1700-1710 Attributed to Stipple Master Indian Amar Singh II, accompanied by four retainers, rides to the hunt on a prized blue-gray stallion, the chromatic and compositional focus of the painting. An inscription on the reverse tells us that the horse is from Jodhpur, a city famed for its steeds. Dramatically rendered portraits of prized horses and elephants were a well-developed genre of Mughal painting, and here the artist has combined this celebration of a horse and rider into another favored Mughal idiom, the royal hunt. The so-called Stipple Masters elegant equestrian group contrasts with the understated landscape, in which lightly modulated forms echo the Persian-Mughal technique of nam qalam (half-tone painting), believed to have been inspired in part by European grisaille. Several of the finest artists in Amar Singh IIs atelier created colored drawings in this style, perhaps in reaction to the more traditional, brightly colored

"The Fifth Joust of the Rooks: Ruhham Versus Barman", Folio 342v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp. Artist: Painting attributed to Qasim ibn 'Ali (active ca. 1525-60). Author: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (935-1020). Dimensions: Painting (recto): H. 7 11/16 in. (19.5 cm)W. 6 3/4 in. (17.2 cm)Painting (verso): H. 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm) W. 6 11/16 in. (17 cm)Page: H. 18 11/16 in. (47.5 cm) W. 12 9/16 in. (31.9 cm)Mat: H. 22 in. (55.9 cm) W. 16 in. (40.6 cm). Date: 1525-30.Folio 342r: The Fourth "Joust of the Rooks": Faruhil versus Zangula The fourth joust features Faruhil, an Iranian champion known for his skill with the bow, against the Turanian Zangula. After peppering Zangula with arrows, Faruhil shoots one that hits both Zangula and his horse, which falls forward, throwing its rider. Zangula falls on his head and dies instantly. Folio 342v: The Fifth "Joust of the Rooks": Ruhham versus Barman Now Ruhham, son of Gudarz, is matched against the Turanian Barman. At first

The pious mans son presents the slain dragon to the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 8 x 10.2 cm (3 1/8 x 4 in.). The king, wearing an orange tunic, is astounded, and he gestures to the headless body of the dragon, pierced with poisoned arrows, on the ground before him. Impressed by the young mans courage and skill, the king allows him to marry his daughter and names him vice-regent.

Princes with flower branches on a terrace. On a white terrace for an open pavilion there is a group of princes with flower branches in their hand front and behind a frost in the middle that is on a dark red tap; For the middle frost are dishes with flowers; For the terrace a pond with fountain and flower beds on either side. The show has been recorded, a frame line all around and a white decorative edge with golden tendrils, around it a solid black border with white frame lines; This leaf is also stuck on a piece of beige cardboard on which red and black frame lines form a list.

Kedara Ragini, c. 1650. Central India, Rajasthan, Malwa school, 17th century. Ink and color on paper; image: 18.7 x 14.8 cm (7 3/8 x 5 13/16 in.); overall: 20.8 x 16.4 cm (8 3/16 x 6 7/16 in.); with mat: 35.5 x 25.4 cm (14 x 10 in.).

The representation is divided into two planes: in the upper plane a woman is sitting under a canopy and a second woman is facing her, in the lower plane a woman is sitting on her knees holding her left hand in front of her mouth, opposite her a man dressed in white is lying diagonally through the plane and is holding a kind of staff in his right hand. The representation is stuck in a framework of frame lines, of which the old edges have been loosened here and there and new edges have been glued over, the outer edge is undecorated and lies on the lower, upper and left side of the representation, Woman under a canopy and a woman on her knees., draughtsman: anonymous, Iran, 1500 - 1800, paper, brush, h 146 mm × w 83 mm, h 216 mm × w 126 mm

Shri Bakht Singh (1706-1752), Maharaja of Jodhpur by Indian Art / Private Collection /India, Mughal school / Watercolour on paper / Portrait,History / 30,6x22

The merchants clerk replaces the sugar purchased by the philandering wife with gravel, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; painting only: 10.5 x 10.2 cm (4 1/8 x 4 in.); overall: 20 x 14.4 cm (7 7/8 x 5 11/16 in.).

"Rustam Kills Isfandiyar with a Double Pointed Arrow", Folio from a Shahnama 15th century Abu'l Qasim Firdausi. "Rustam Kills Isfandiyar with a Double Pointed Arrow", Folio from a Shahnama. 15th century. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Made in Iran. Codices

35mm original

Nata Ragina: Folio from a ragamala series (Garland of Musical Modes) 1714 Mohamed Within the ragamala tradition the association of music, text, and image is not always obvious. In this instance, in accord with visualizing music in a heroic mode, a male figure is described in the text as [gripping his sword [as he moves about the field of battle.” Yet this text also refers to a ragini, making the musical mode feminine, and hence the protagonist should presumably be a woman. While there are examples of this scene with a woman dressed as a warrior, more often, as we see here, it is a male figure. Such contradictions are common within the ragamala genre.. Nata Ragina: Folio from a ragamala series (Garland of Musical Modes) 37870

A Rampaging Elephant (Recto), Female Figure (Verso). India, Rajasthan, Ajmer, circa 1675. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor on paper

Portrait of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Anonymous

Muhammad Adil Shah of Bijapur and his African Prime Minister Ikhlas Khan. India, Karnataka, Bijapur (recto); Iran or India (verso), 1650-1675 (recto), 17th century (verso). Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; border: paper embossed with gold

"Portrait of Khan Dauran Bahadur Nusrat Jang", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album verso: ca. 1640; recto: 1530-50 Painting by Murad The subject of this portrait was viceroy of the Deccan and one of Shah Jahans leading soldiers. For distinguished service during the conquest of Daulatabad, he received the title "Khan Dauran." By the time of his death in 1645, Khan Dauran had been promoted to the highest imperial rank held by a person of nonroyal blood.. "Portrait of Khan Dauran Bahadur Nusrat Jang", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album 451278

Pradyumna Kills Samvara (recto), Calligraphy (verso), Folio from a Harivamsha (Lineage of Hari Vishnu). Pakistan, Lahore, Mughal empire, circa 1585-1590. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper

Heavenly messenger with an announcement for a sitting man in a palace, Anonymous, 1400 - 1700 Persian miniature. drawing A figure dressed in red and white with flame wreath around the head stands for a sitting figure in a room in a palace; The sitting figure holds the left hand of the standing messenger and looks up at him; The messenger has somewhat lifted the right hand in a gesture; In the foreground, a terrace with pond is visible, in the background a rocky garden with a tree. The show is framed by a few colored framework edges and glued to a larger gold -bricked leaf. Iran paper brush / brush

Two ladies visit a friend, Anonymous, 1775 in the evening Indian miniature. drawing In a room in a palace, a lady is waiting for a roll cushion to visit her two girlfriends who are already walking along the wall. The show is framed by a wide dark blue edge and separated from it by white frameworks; In the upper edge there is an old-Indian text in white notebook. Central India paper brush / brush

The Dream of Zuleykha, c. 1770. India, Lucknow, Mughal, 18th century. Opaque watercolor with gold on paper, illuminated borders band; page: 32.9 x 22.1 cm (12 15/16 x 8 11/16 in.).

"Allusion to Sura 27:16", Folio from a Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds) dated A.H. 892/A.D. 1486 Farid al-Din `Attar This folio belonged to a manuscript of the Mantiq al-tair that was presented to the Ardabil shrine in 1608-09, more than a century after its text and most of its illustrations were completed. Under the Safavid Shah Abbas, its pages were remounted and four illustrations, a frontispiece, and a new binding were added. For a long time, the text and paintings were assumed to be Timurid, from the original manuscript, but scholars have determined that fifteen folios were added during the Safavid period to replace lost or damaged pages. Scholars are divided on the date of the calligraphy of this folio, but the exquisite marbling of its border was certainly added when the folio was remounted during the rule of Shah Abbas, when this decorative technique, called abri or abru in Persian, was at its peak.. "Allusion to Sura 27:16", Folio from a Mantiq al-tair (Language of the

"Muhammad and His Followers Going to Battle", Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari. Author: Muhammad Rafi Khan (Indian, died 1711). Dimensions: H: 19 5/8 in (49.8 cm) x W: 11 1/4 in (28.6 cm). Date: ca. 1820. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Two couples, one inside a palace and one outside, say goodbye as the men go hunting, as can be seen from the bag with arrows and bows they carry. Below the depiction a wide yellow strip, below again a purple border, at the top also a yellow strip with a 5-line inscription in old Indian writing in black, the leaf is severely damaged., Departure of the hunters, draughtsman: anonymous, Centraal-India, 1640 - 1660, paper, brush, h 244 mm × w 176 mm

Dr. Kunjlall Misre. Gouache painting by an Indian painter.

Episode from the love story of Laila and Majnun, Majnun in conversation with Laila for a tent. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: c. 1500 - c. 1700. Place: Persia. Measurements: h 159 mm × w 87 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

"Four Portraits: (upper left) A Raja (Perhaps Raja Sarang Rao), by Balchand; (upper right) 'Inayat Khan, by Daulat; (lower left) 'Abd al-Khaliq, probably by Balchand; (lower right) Jamal Khan Qaravul, by Murad", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album. Artist: Painting by Balachand (active 1595-ca. 1650); Painting by Daulat (active ca. 1595-1635); Painting by Murad. Dimensions: Overall page: Ht. 15 3/16 in. (38.6 cm)W. 10 3/16 in. (25.9 cm)Painting inside border: Ht. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm)W. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm)All four portraits: Ht. 10 7/8 in. (27.6 cm)W. 5 3/16 in. (13.2 cm)Portrait (top left): Ht. 5 5/16 in. (13.5 cm) W. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)Portrait (top right): Ht. 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm) W. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)Portrait (bottom left): Ht. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm) W. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm)Portrait (bottom right): Ht. 4 7/16 in. (11.3 cm) W. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm). Date: recto: ca. 1610-15; verso: dated 1541.These portraits were made for Jahangir (r. 1605-27), whose painters, while technically flawle

"Bizhan Slaughters the Wild Boars of Irman", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings). Author: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (935-1020). Dimensions: Painting: H. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm) W. 4 13/16 in. (12.2 cm)Text Block: H. 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm) W. 4 13/16 in. (12.3 cm)Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm) W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm). Date: ca. 1300-30. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

A Rajput nobleman (). Gouache painting by an Indian painter.

Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami. Author: Nizami (Ilyas Abu Muhammad Nizam al-Din of Ganja) (probably 1141-1217). Dimensions: H. 11 1/2 in. (29.2 cm)W. 8in. (20.3cm). Date: 15th century.By the end of the fifteenth century, manuscripts of Persian poetry typically were written in a script known as nasta'liq, an elegant, flowing form of calligraphy. This manuscript is somewhat unusual in its archaizing use of the more rectilinear naskh script. Nevertheless, the paintings of this manuscript are stylistically akin to those found in manuscripts produced in Shiraz during the reign of Sultan Khalil Aq Quyunlu (d. 1478), suggesting that it was copied under an earlier patron, but illustrated in the Aq Quyunlu period. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

"Battle Scene", Folio from a Zafarnama (Book of Victories) of Sharaf al-Din 'Ali Yazdi 1485-86 Sharaf al-din 'Ali Yazdi This folio is from a manuscript now in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, whose colophon gives the date 891 (A.D. 1485-86). Several different styles of paintings appear in the manuscript, some of which may have been painted later, in the early Safavid period, although this folio was likely completed at the time of the manuscripts production. Timur, appearing near the top left of the page in a green jama, is but one part of the lively scene. While the exact subject of the painting is not known, it may depict Timur fighting either the Badakhshan army or the Khazars.. "Battle Scene", Folio from a Zafarnama (Book of Victories) of Sharaf al-Din 'Ali Yazdi 450512

Bangali Ragini. Date: ca. 1630. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Origin: Marwar, Rajasthan state, India. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Daikoku to yujo, Daikoku and courtesan., Okumura, Masanobu, 1686-1764, artist, between 1711 and 1716, printed later, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 23.8 x 37.1 cm., Print shows Daikoku, one of the seven gods of fortune, sitting on the ground, holding a large sack from which two women emerge.

35mm original

"Rustam Kills the White Div", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) ca. 1300-30 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi The basic iconography of this popular tale of heroism was developed by the fourteenth century and continues essentially unchanged. A Mongol-featured Rustam wears his familiar tiger skin while his robe beneath and the saddle blanket of his horse Rakhsh show the familiar Mongol peony flowers. Rustam has just cut off one of the powerful div's legs. Another div pokes its head over the top of the cave while Rustam's guide Ulad, tied to a tree, awaits him in this very busy, compact composition from the First Small Shahnama.. "Rustam Kills the White Div", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings). ca. 1300-30. Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper. Attributed to Northwestern Iran or Baghdad. Codices

Presentation with seated men and performance with riders, an elephant and falcons. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1690 - 1710. Place: Bilaspur. Measurements: h 221 mm × w 285 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Man en vrouw onder een baldakijn in een tuin, voor hen vier musici. Vijf illustraties van Kamsa door Nizami met tekst (series title). Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1500 - 1600. Place: Persia. Measurements: h 187 mm × w 129 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Chandhu La'l Indian. Chandhu La'l, 1875-1900. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, sheet: 19 11/16 x 11 13/16 in. (50.0 x 30.0 cm). This portrait depicts a courtier who served the nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad in the early nineteenth century. In a composition that was typical of the period, Chandhu Lal is depicted seated on a carpet, surrounded by cushions, and holding a flower, with his sword lying before him. He wears the thin white cotton coat that was standard attire for aristocrats in India, and an impressive turban ornament, or sarpech, with pendant emeralds, probably a gift from the nizam. Asian Art 1875-1900

Shah-nameh by Firdausi. Published 17th or 18th century. Manuscripts, Persian. Washington D.C. Written in India. Cream-colour Eastern laid paper; black ink with with highly decorated major ʻunwāns; minor ʻunwāns in gold ink, now very faded; four columns enclosed in a thin red-blue-yellow border; text begins on folio 1b with rubrication and gold interlinear decoration up to folio 3a; folios 1b and 2a have elaobroate border of grape decoration in various shades of green and gold; catchwords on rectos

Rider on horseback. Maker: anonymous. Dating: 1750. Place: Deccan. Measurements: h 208 mm × w 131 mm; h 253 mm × w 190 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

"Arjuna Battles Raja Tamradhvaja", Folio from a Razmnama ca. 1616-17 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Muhammad Bairam Khan Khan-i Khanan Akbar was the first of the Mughals to commission Persian translations of Sanskrit works out of a genuine interest in the literature and religion of the Hindu subjects over whom he ruled. Later emperors and other Muslim nobles followed his lead. This folio has come from a copy of the Mahabharata (known in Persian as the Razmnama) made for 'Abd al-Rahim ibn Muhammad Khan-i Khanan, army commander to Akbar and then Jahangir. Long in the service of the Mughals in a military capacity, 'Abd al-Rahim was also placed in charge of translating Babur's memoirs into Persian from Chaghatay Turkish, which reflects his literary interests. Though many others of his status had fine libraries, he was one of the few nobles who had books created for him, and six manuscripts are known to have come from his workshop of twenty artists. Like Akbar, he commissioned copies of the Ramayana and

A Procession Scene with Musicians, from a copy of the Padshanama. India. Date: 1625-1675. Dimensions: Image: 38 x 25.9 cm (15 x 10 1/4 in.); Paper: 38.5 x 26.6 cm (15 1/4 x 10 1/2 in.). Opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Origin: India. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA. Author: Mughal.

The vagabond crosses a stream with the possessions of the daughter-in-law of the king of Banaras and absconds, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Sixteenth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 8.5 x 10.2 cm (3 3/8 x 4 in.).

"Portrait of Mulla Muhammad Khan Vali of Bijapur", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album recto: ca. 1620; verso: 1537-47 Painting by Hashim The inscription in Jahangirs hand on the inner border of this painting states that it is a portrait of Mulla Muhammad Bijapuri, probably the emissary sent by Ibrahim 'Adil Shah II to ask for assistance from the Mughals against his rival Malik Ambar of Ahmadnagar. Hashim was a Deccani painter specializing portraits who moved to the Mughal court ca. 1620. While his use of strong contours and choice of color palette remained constant, under Jahangirs direction Hashims rendering of facial features evolved dramatically.. "Portrait of Mulla Muhammad Khan Vali of Bijapur", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album 451281

Gunakari Ragini, woman sitting in a court of a palace, rukn-din (attributed to), 1675-1700 drawing. Indian miniature paper. deck paint. gouache (paint) brush

Lovers Parting, Page from a Book of Fables, c. 1590-95. Northern India, Mughal court, 16th century. Opaque watercolor with gold on paper, mounted on an album leaf with inner borders of gold-sprinkled blue paper and outer plain cream borders (recto); page: 36.1 x 24.8 cm (14 3/16 x 9 3/4 in.). The lovers have met in a remote wilderness location, away from the city shown in the distance. However, their affair has run its course, and they decide to part ways, each walking in opposite directions through an ominous landscape, where strange rock formations and an oversized serpent-slain by foxes gnawing on its innards-lend a sense of foreboding. As Mughal court painting developed into the last decades of the 16th century, artists began using increasingly muted colors and gentler shading techniques than they did in the more robust Adventures of Hamza at the left. The omission of a light source and shadows adds to a timeless, otherworldly impression to the landscape.

The street cleaner, on his way to meet King Bhojaraja, sleeps under a tree where four thieves disguised as fellow travelers deprive him of a priceless pearl, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twelfth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 10.5 x 10.4 cm (4 1/8 x 4 1/8 in.).

Toilet of a princess. The toilet of a major woman.

A princess with attendants on a terrace, c. 1720-1730. India, Hyderabad, Deccan, 18th century. Opaque watercolor with gold on paper; painting: 31.3 x 19.7 cm (12 5/16 x 7 3/4 in.).

Krishna steals butter from the churning Yasoda. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1750 - 1770. Place: Bundi. Measurements: h 302 mm × w 212 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Churning the ocean. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1790 - 1810. Place: Murshidabad. Measurements: h 227 mm × w 152 mm; h 208 mm × w 137 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Young Lovers Embracing 16th century This album page consists of cutout panels of calligraphy in nasta'liq script alternating with panels of illumination, all surrounding a drawing of an amorous couple. The delicacy with which the lovers are rendered makes for an unusually sensual image. The drawing is surrounded by lyrical and mystical verses, integrating the page into a cohesive whole.. Young Lovers Embracing 453316

Rider meets a warrior.

A prince leaves his sleeping beloved who lies on a yellow bed, on the roof of her palace stands a peacock. At the bottom of the representation a wide decorative border of a winding yellow border around blue and green medallions against a red background, at the top a wide yellow border with a 3-line inscription in ancient Indian writing., Lakta ragini, draughtsman: anonymous, Centraal-India, 1650 - 1670, paper, brush, brush, h 219 mm × w 146 mm

"Akbar Hunting", Folio from an Akbarnama (History of Akbar) late 16th century This painting, a display of imperial prowess, strength, and courage, is from a now-dispersed illustrated manuscript of the Akbarnama, the chronicle of Emperor Akbar's life. It shows the emperor lunging from the saddle to strike a lioness with his long-bladed sword, or shamshir shikargar. Below him, a courtier takes a Parthian shot (made facing backward in the saddle while at full gallop) at a second lion attacking from behind. The dynamic and dangerous action of the hunt is set against a beautifully modulated Persian-style rocky landscape, with dense trees and wondrous mountains filling the upper horizon.. "Akbar Hunting", Folio from an Akbarnama (History of Akbar) 446161

Raja Shri Man Singh Ji Saheb (Man Singh I) (December 21, 1550 - July 6, 1614) was the Kacchwaha King of Amber, a state later known as Jaipur. He was a trusted general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, who included him among the Navaratnas, or the 9 (nava) gems (ratna) of the royal court. Amber was a city of Rajasthan state, India, it is now part of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation. Founded by the Meena Raja Alan Singh, Amber was a flourishing settlement as far back as 967 CE. Around 1037 CE, it was conquered by the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs. Much of the present structure known as Amber Fort is actually the palace built by the great conqueror Raja Man Singh I who ruled from 1590 - 1614. The palace contains several spectacular buildings such as the Diwan-i-Khas and the elaborately painted Ganesh Poll built by the renowned warlord Mirza Raja Jai Singh I (Man Singh I's grandson). The old and original fort of Amber dating from earlier Rajas or the Meena period is what is known in the present day

Tamerlane on a ship with his household, soldiers and sailors, miniature from the History of the Timurid Dynasty by Hatefi, manuscript folio 59, Persia 17th Century.

Abduction of Rukmini by Krishna. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1830 - 1850. Place: Hindur. Measurements: h 221 mm × w 304 mm; h 180 mm × w 261 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658) (verso), Calligraphy (recto), Folio from the Late Shah Jahan album. Attributed to Bichitr (India, active circa 1610-circa 1660)Possibly Mir Ali (1500-circa 1544). India, Mughal empire (verso); Iran (recto), circa 1650 (verso), 1500-1544 (recto). Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor, gold and ink on paper (verso), Ink on paper (recto)

Portret van Shah Jahan Padshah, de zoon van Jihangir, die na zijn vader regeerde in Hindustan.Shah Jahan Padshah, with white beard, is depicted to his hips, used to the right, with a sword in the right hand and a flower in the left hand. Leaf 5 in the `Witsen album ', with 49 Indian miniatures of princes. Above the portrait a piece of paper with the name in Persian. Under the portrait a piece of paper with the name in Portuguese.

Mahrusas marriage to the prefect of the city, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-sixth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 9.7 x 10.1 cm (3 13/16 x 4 in.).

"Nushirvan Promulgates His Reforms", Folio 602v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp. Artist: Painting attributed to Muzaffar 'Ali (active late 1520s-70s; d. ca. 1576). Author: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (935-1020). Dimensions: Painting: H. 10 5/8 x W. 8 1/8 in. (H. 27 x W. 20.6 cm)Entire Page: H. 18 5/8 x W. 12 1/2 in. (H. 47.3 x W. 31.8 cm). Date: ca. 1530-35.Nushirvan (r. 531-79) became known for the reforms he instituted, especially in the system of taxation. Here he dictates to a scribe a letter to his agents, outlining the new system and also setting forth principles of conduct: judiciousness and absolute scrupulousness in the administration of their duties. Muzaffar 'Ali, who painted this illustration, worked for the Safavid court through the entire reign of Shah Tahmasp. As is typical of works by the second generation of Shahnama artists, the figures here are larger in scale and fewer in number than in comparable Shahnama compositions completed between 1525 and 1530. M

Mughal period miniature painting from an album featuring portraits of Timur the Great and his descendants, mid-17th century.

Portret van Sharza Khan, die in de tijd van Sultan Abdullah als vizier heeft gediend en ook vizier is in de tijd van Abul Hasan.Sharza Khan is depicted to his hips, to the left, with his hands folded for himself. Leaf 35 in the `Witsen album ', with 49 Indian miniatures of princes. Above the portrait a piece of paper with the name in Persian. Under the portrait a piece of paper with the name in Portuguese.

Lady writing a love letter. Date/Period: 1700 - 1800. Painting. Height: 185 mm (7.28 in); Width: 240 mm (9.44 in). Author: UNKNOWN.

Love Scene at Night. India, Rajasthan, Kishangarh, circa 1750-1800. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Balarama shifts the course of the Yamuna with his team, Anonymous, 1825 - 1875 Indian miniature. drawing Balarama shifts the course of the Yamuna with his team. Krishna and a Gopi watch. The show is framed by a narrow white piping, around it a wide orange -red decorative border with black framework lines; This leaf is glued on a leaf paper leaf on which a black framework line is drawn in pencil. Jaipur paper brush Yamuna

Portrait of Sultan Osman II, by Nakshi, miniature

"Bahram Gur Slays a Dragon", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) ca. 1330-40 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi While out hunting, Bahram Gur encountered an awesome dragon. He shot two arrows into it and cut it open with his sword. The shah was horrified to find a dead youth inside it. Half- blinded by his grief for the youth and by the dragon's venom, Bahram pulled the body out of the dragon. In spite of the patch over the center of the picture, the scene is quite clear. The shah's horse appears stiffly-even crudely-drawn, but the foliage of the tree on the left and the stalwart determination expressed by the figure of Bahram are well executed.. "Bahram Gur Slays a Dragon", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) 452661

The young man of Baghdad joins the Hashimis boat as a sailor to find his slave-girl on board, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-eighth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 11.4 x 10 cm (4 1/2 x 3 15/16 in.). After losing all his possessions, the destitute young man joins the crew of a merchant ship. Upon boarding, he quickly realizes that this ship belongs to the same merchant who purchased his lover, the slave girl. She stands in the center of the boat, her finger raised in a gesture of shock, gazing toward her long-lost love.

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