Seven illustrations to the Rasikapriya of Keshav Das, the folios numbered 18, 40, 104, 106, 112, 172 and 175, gouache heightened with gold on paper, painted primarily in red, yellow, green, white, dark blue and pink, the day scenes with yellow ground and a peacock perched above, the night scenes with dark blue ground and a monkey sitting above, each showing all or two of the blue-skinned Krishna (the nayaka), Radha (the nayika) and her attendant (sakhi) in or by the nayika's red-walled chamber with domed roof and makara-head terminals holding pennants, the couple, yellow bands above and below, white margins between black rules, pink leaf, the verso of each with lines of black devanagari, (light wear to edges, occasional folios with corners lacking, some rubbing, creasing, spotting and flaking) Malwa, circa 1640, each 8 x 7in. (20.3 x 17.8cm.)

Details

Seven illustrations to the Rasikapriya of Keshav Das, the folios numbered 18, 40, 104, 106, 112, 172 and 175, gouache heightened with gold on paper, painted primarily in red, yellow, green, white, dark blue and pink, the day scenes with yellow ground and a peacock perched above, the night scenes with dark blue ground and a monkey sitting above, each showing all or two of the blue-skinned Krishna (the nayaka), Radha (the nayika) and her attendant (sakhi) in or by the nayika's red-walled chamber with domed roof and makara-head terminals holding pennants, the couple, yellow bands above and below, white margins between black rules, pink leaf, the verso of each with lines of black devanagari, (light wear to edges, occasional folios with corners lacking, some rubbing, creasing, spotting and flaking) Malwa, circa 1640, each 8 x 7in. (20.3 x 17.8cm.)
See illustration for one (7)

Lot Essay

This series describing the characteristics of heroes and heroines (nayakas and nayikas) using the lovers Krishna and Radha as examples must once have comprised over 300 folios. Several folios from the series are known. See the following sold in Christie's King Street Rooms:
24 April 1980, lot 155 (f.no.255)
3 July 1980, lot 49 (f.no.42)
13 October 1982, lot38 (f.no.263)
28 November 1983, lot 46 (f.no.86)
11 June 1984, lot 54 (f.no.108)
12 April 1988, lot 15 (f.no.26)
10 October 1989, lot 42 (f.no.134)
24 April 1990, lot 59 (f.no.91)
8 October 1991, lot 1 (f.no.129)
and Sotheby's New York, 28 October 1991, lot 253.
For a translation of the text see Randhawa, M.S.: Kangra Paintings on Love, New Delhi 1962, pp.37-8.
The following three lots are from the same series.

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