A painting of a deity holding a bow and arrow

INDIA, BILASPUR, 1700-1720

Details

A painting of a deity holding a bow and arrow
India, Bilaspur, 1700-1720
The deity standing facing left in profile, wearing a golden crown, pearl and gold jewelry, yellow dhoti, green kammarband and purple scarf edged in gold, his skin marked with white paste, with a quiver of arrows secured around his torso and carrying a bow and arrow, enclosed in a doorway with red borders, the verso with inscriptions and collector's stamp
Opaque pigments and gold on paper
7¼ x 4 7/8 in. (18.5 x 12.5 cm.), image
8½ x 6 1/8 in. (21.5 x 15.6 cm.), folio

Provenance

Royal Mandi Collection, inv. no. 2435
Private Collection, London, acquired at Sotheby's London, 24 May 2007, lot 5

Lot Essay

This and the other paintings from this series (lots 2 and 4) are executed with great skill, note the raised pastiglia in the golden crowns of the figures, and the finely dropped pearls, each with the subtle divot at centre that is a hallmark of perfectly painted pearl jewelry across Indian court painting. The inscription on the verso indicates this painting was folio 9 in the original series.

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