NORTHERN INDIA, 1843-1849

Details

TWENTY-FOUR SIKH ROYAL MINIATURE PORTRAITS IN KHATAMKAR CASE
NORTHERN INDIA, 1843-1849
Twenty-four miniature portraits of Sikh rulers, watercolour on ivory, arranged in a folding frame with a khatamkar geometric design on the cover, some areas of loss to the khatamkar cover design
Portraits on average 2 x 1½in. (5 x 4cm.); Folder 15¼ x 9 5/8 x 1 1/8in. (38.7 x 24.5 x 2.8cm.) (24)

Special notice

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Lot Essay

Portraits counting from left to right: 1)Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, 2)Maharaja Dalip Singh of Punjab, 3)Maharani Jind Kaur of Punjab, 4)Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala, 5)Diwan Dina Nath, 6)Tej Singh, 17)Labh Singh. A miniature in the Musée Guimet (inv. 39753), featuring Ranjit Singh holding court with many of the same individuals represented in our miniature portraits is illustrated in Susan Stronge (ed.), The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms, London, 1999, pl. 176, p. 154. These series of portraits would probably have been painted during the short reign of Maharaja Dalip Singh of Punjab who ruled from 1843 until 1849 AD. A similar series of miniature portraits is held in the British Library, (inv. Add. Or. 2640-7), illustrated in Stronge op. cit p. 27.

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