INDIA, DECCAN, KOLHAPUR, CIRCA 1775

The Ragamala, or garland of melodies, is a cycle of paintings each of which represents a specific musical mode associated with a time of day and a season. While the visual representations can vary greatly, a certain degree of iconographic consistency can allow the raga to be identified. The painting illustrates the text for Malkos raga which describes a handsome and well-dressed lord attended on by women.
The present painting is from a known series from Kolhapur, in the Deccan. The series is marked by the pale red border heightened with gold leaf florals, vividly expressive skies, and stylized vegetation. A comparable painting from this series can be found in the San Diego Museum of Art, Edwin Binney 3rd Collection (acc. nos. 1990.541 and 1990.542). Two additional paintings from this series have been recorded in the Klaus Ebeling Ragamala Painting Research Collection, digitized by Cornell University (nos. RM_2_03_131 and RM_2_03_126)