Art Passages Indian Paintings AWNY 2024 by Shawn Ghassemi

ART PASSAGES

Indian Paintings

Art PASSAGES

Indian Paintings Nobility, Divinity, and Festivity

Catalogued by: Robert J. Del Bontà

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Noble Smoking a Huqqa India, Mughal, circa 1680 – 1700 Ink drawing with colored washes Folio 9 ¾ x 7 ¹⁄₈ in (24.7 x 18 cm) Painting 8 ³⁄₈ x 5 ¾ in (21.2 x 14.6 cm) Provenance Private collection, Paris 1975 – 2000 In this superb and detailed drawing of a man in midlife, one gets an impression of the sitter’s determination and intensity as he gazes straight ahead. His pagri or turban is delicately detailed with floral scrolls separated by bands of lavender stripes. He sits with one leg tucked under him and the other one with knee bent against a bolster upon a carpet with a border of delicately drawn floral scrolls containing a field of similarly drawn floral sprigs. A small lota and a white cloth lie nearby. He holds the mouthpiece of the huqqa with his left hand and rests his right on his lap.

The artist gives just a hint of the details of the blue and white ceramic base for the huqqa and handles the folds of the man’s diaphanous jama or garment deftly. A light wash of white over the carpet and bolster delineates the space from the background. Horizontal strokes of color give a dreamy quality to the sky letting us know that he is positioned on an outdoor terrace. This type of drawing with a few hints of color is called Siyah Qalam and is a technique often used for portraits during the Mughal period.

Khan ’Alam, Son of Najabat Khan India, Mughal, circa 1660 – 70 Ink drawing with hints of color wash and gold Folio 16 x 10 ³⁄₈ in (40.6 x 26.3 cm) Painting 5 ⁷∕₈ x 3 ½in (15 x 8.9 cm) Provenance Private collection, Paris 1975 – 2000 Inscribed lower bottom in Nastaliq: Shabih Khan ‘Alam bin Najabat Khan (Likness of Khan ‘Alam son of Najabat Khan) Inscribed in Devanagari: Sabir/ Khan Alam Ni [sic] jabat Khan robe?e The placement of the painting within multicolored borders as well as the gold inscription in devanagari at the bottom points to a Mewar royal muraqqa‘ or album of portraits of Mughal dignitaries. A Mewar inventory number on the verso further attests to its royal ownership. The strict standing pose in profile was extremely popular in Mughal and Mughal influenced centers. Placed against a plain background he wears a simple jama over richly brocaded tight trousers and shoes. His pagri or turban is banded in gold. A katar or punch dagger is tucked into his sash or patka and he rests both his hands on the helm of his sword. This type of drawing with a few hints of color is called Siyah Qalam and is often found in many formal portraits. Ghairat Khan (Muhammad Ibrahim), the son of Najabat Khan, was a distinguished courtier of Shah Jahan and was granted the title of Khan ‘Alam by Alamgir/Aurangzeb. This took place after Ghairat Khan commanded the Aurengzeb’s armies in battles against Maharaja Jaswant Singh and a battle with Dara Shikoh on April 25, 1658 during the Mughal War of Secession (1658 – 1659) between the four sons of Shah Jahan.

For biographical details see Samsam al-Dawla Shah Nawaz Khan and Abdul Hayy, The Maathir-ul-umara, trans, H. Beveridge, vol. 1, reprint Delhi 1999, pp 577 – 78. His father Najābat Khān Mīrzā Shuja‘, an important courtier, is discussed in Vol. II, pp. 364 – 71. For a similarly treated portraits of other Mughal nobles from the same Mewar album, see “Portrait of Darab Khan At An Older Age” in B.N. Goswamy, Painted Visions: The Goenka Collection of Indian Paintings, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1999. No. 52, page 66 and for one depicting Abu’l-Hassan Asaf Khan formerly in the collection of Toby Falk, see Christie’s 27 October 2023, Lot 5.

A Mughal Noble Mughal, circa 1700 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 12 ³⁄₈ x 9 ¹⁄₈ in (31.4 x 23.1 cm) Painting 7 ¼ x 4 in (18.5 x 10.1 cm) Provenance Private collection Canada Similar to the portrait of Khan ’Alam, this unnamed courier stands in strict profile. In this case the figure is fully painted and wears a pure white jama with tight striped leggings with green and orange shoes. He is placed on a firm groundline decorated with simple tufts of foliage. Orange washes give a hint of clouds at the top of a pale blue background. He carries a sword, shield, with a katar or punch dagger tucked into his patka or sash and his right hand rests on the helm of his katar. The artist carefully detailed the brocaded patka and pagri or turban and sensitively delineated the features of his face with some shading on his neck.

The painting is placed in a series of elaborate symmetrical borders with narrow pale green borders containing meandering foliage enveloping a wide light brown band of color decorated with white floral motifs. The whole is encased in a narrow black and gold spiral border creating a sumptuous effect.

For two portraits from the same album see Artcurial, 17 Nov 2020, lots 180-81. In compiling albums, portraits from various dates often were grouped together and these two are of a later date.

4 A Noble Seated on a Terrace Telangana, Gadwal, circa 1790 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 10 ⁵∕₈ x 6 ⁷∕₈ in (27 x 17.5 cm) Painting 10 ¹⁄₈ x 6 ³⁄₈ in (25.7 x 17.5 cm) Provenance Collection of de Strycker, Belgium, c. 1949 A nobleman sits on a terrace holding a flower and the mouthpiece of a huqqa while leaning against a mauve colored bolster. A wide array of objects is arranged on the marble terrace. Along with the huqqa and black spittoon, the sword, shield, katar or punch-dagger, and a mace let us know that this is an important individual. There is also a small table which probably has the makings of pan. On the other side of the black railing, a servant with a cauri or yak-tail flywhisk stands behind him while a man in a lilac jama approaches from the right. The group are starkly silhouetted against a pale blue sky with flowers along the bottom of the composition suggesting a garden. Flocks of white, gray, and black birds fly under a line of clouds at the top.

This painting is most likely from the Deccani center of Gadwal at the very bottom of the state of Telangana on the other side of the Tungabhadra River across from the important center of Kurnool at the northern end of Andhra Pradesh. The figures wear a distinctive shaped turban similar to Maratha types but with a conical peak at the center.

For the art of Gadwal and the distinctive turban see: John Seyller and Jagdish Mittal, Deccani Paintings, Drawings, and Manuscripts in the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Art, vol. 2, Hyderabad: Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Art, 2018, pp. 356 – 65.

The Humiliation of Draupadi Rajasthan, Jaipur, circa 1830 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 9 ¾ x 12 ³⁄₈ in (24.7 x 31.4 cm) Provenance Collection of Jean Sulkes, Chicago In this exquisitely intricate painting, an epic drama is about to unfold. The scene depicted is called Draupadi Vastrapaharanam (Draupadi's Disrobement), also referred to as Panchali Cheer Haran, and is an important episode in the Mahabharata. The story is found in the Sabha Parva (book 2) of the Mahabharata. The Pandava brothers lost a game of caupar or pachisi to their cousins, the Kauravas. They continued playing until they lost everything including their mutual wife Draupadi.

A closely related painting is in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (PD.102-1948). For another painting of the subject see the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2022.247), formerly in the Howard Hodgkin Collection see: Andrew Topsfield, Visions of Mughal India, Oxford: The Ashmolean Museum, 2012, no. 73 and Topsfield and Milo Cleveland Beach, Indian Paintings and Drawings from the collection of Howard Hodgkin, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1991, no. 34.

The blind mustachioed Dhritarashtra sits against a bolster in the center of the hall flanked either side by his numerous sons. The eldest of his sons, Duryodhana, gestures from the railing at the scene below –— ordering his younger brother Duhshasana to disrobe Draupadi on the terrace. Draupadi cries out to Krishna for help and the god makes her sari an endless series of saris protecting her modesty. The five Pandava brothers are huddled at the other side of the terrace, appearing helpless and distraught. A cloth caupar game board is discarded nearby. Two of the brothers can be identified from their attributes: Bhima with his club and Arjuna who crouches with lowered head, with his bow and arrows on the terrace.

For this episode see the Sabha Parva (Book 2) of the Mahabharata translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, at: https://sacred-texts. com/hin/m02/index.htm The narrative begins in Section LXVI and continues into the next sections.

6 A Wedding Celebration Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur, Company School, circa 1780 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 12 ¼ x 17 ¾ in (31.1 x 45 cm) Painting 10 ⁵∕₈ x 16 ¼ in (27 x 41.2 cm) Provenance Collection of Ed Hardy, San Francisco Company School painting is a title covering several different styles developed at various centers throughout India. Its overall feature has Indian artists adapting their styles to ones deemed more appropriate to Europeans. Overall, one can understand the paintings as nature studies and anthropological scenes representing everything from the fauna and flora of India to castes and occupations, and various religious and cultural festivities. In a shallow stage-like setting, the wedding couple sit formally under a festooned shamiana at the back of a courtyard. Musicians and courtiers fill the patterned carpet in the foreground, and a pair of dancers entertain the group. Men play shenais or double-reed horns, manjira or finger cymbals, and a large two-headed mridangam drum to the left and six courtiers sit formally facing the musicians and dancers. Retainers stand to the right, two of whom carry swords in their scabbards. A group of bare-chested priests conduct the marriage ceremony and the purohits make offerings to the sacred fire in front of the couple while women attend the event to the left. A sense of formality permeates the scene.

A Gathering at a Well Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur, Company School, circa 1780 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 12 ¼ x 17 ¾ in (31.1 x 45 cm) Painting 10 ⁵∕₈ x 16 in (27 x 40.6 cm) Provenance Collection of Ed Hardy, San Francisco This is a particularly fine example of a Company School painting from Tanjore (Thanjavur) with close affinities to an album of thirty-six painting of various South Indian castes, mostly depicting couples in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (AL.9128). This painting is handled with a great many more fine details and the setting is extensive when the usual paintings in this style have a minimum ground lines and simple monochromatic backgrounds with only a hint of a line of clouds at the top. Here the groundline is lifted and well executed trees on each side of the painting frame the scene while the circular well atop a domed brick base focuses one’s attention. The seven women and the smaller girl are differentiated with carefully detailed clothing. The artist has managed to create depth by scaling the two women drawing water from the well smaller than the ones in the foreground. The man filling a skin with water standing with a Brahma bull adds interest to the composition.

For the comparable paintings in the album see: Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series, London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992.

8 A Midnight Tryst West Bengal, Murshidabad, circa 1750 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 9 ¾ x 14 ³⁄₈ in (25 x 36.5 cm) Painting 8 x 11 in (20.3 x 28 cm) Provenance Private collection, London Resting against a bolster on a marble terrace in front of lush vegetation a prince lies on a low charpoi or bed. The full moon rises over the horizon at the other side of a lake or river. He gazes at a group of women bringing his paramour to him at the left. She is hesitant and demurely turns away from her lover and two of her friends nudge her forward. The clothing is sumptuous with subtly colored brocade pajamas under diaphanous skirts. Other servants attend to the hero, one fans him while another pours a small cup of wine. The artist carefully delineates elements of the terrace and various items on a tray and an elaborate huqqa. The pure white of the marble terrace and pavilion to the left boldly silhouettes the figures in stark contrast to the dark night sky. Night scenes of lovers entertained on a terrace were a popular genre in the 18th century cosmopolitan cities of Murshidabad and Lucknow. The painting has pale blue borders flecked with gold. A Seal impression on verso is dated 1757.

A similar composition is in the Art Institute of Chicago (1983.634) and for a painting with similar façade for the terrace and intricate pierced railing see the exhibition catalogue Miniatures orientales de l'Inde, Paris: Galerie Soustiel, 1973, no. 44; also see Artcurial, 24 May 2016, Lot 214.

9 A Lively Procession Rajasthan, Kota, circa 1870 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 9 ⁵∕₈ x 13 ¾ in (24.5 x 35 cm) Provenance Christie’s, Islamic Art and Indian Miniatures, London 8&10 October 1991, lot 27; Heil Collection 1991 – 2016 This enigmatic painting, at first sight it appears as a regular procession of a nobleman on horseback. However, with further scrutiny, it appears more theatrical than ordinary. The nobleman rides out on a caparisoned horse attended by a retinue of retainers and entertainers. The leading figure, perhaps a comedian, with his head turned back to the group, leaps in the air and gesticulates. The attendant behind him seems to mimic the lead’s action. The figure directly behind the horse raises a rose in his hand, a rather unusual gesture for a retainer. The last figure following the troupe carries a red stick with an elephant-like head in his left hand, perhaps a toy, while holding a handkerchief in his right hand. The equestrian figure, however, appears normal, and resembles the ruler Maharao Shatru Sal II (r. 1866 – 89), but his curved nose suggests that he is another person. Curiously the horse has his eyes covered with a skirt-like cloth hanging from his ears. The artist has taken a great deal of care in depicting the various textiles, the trappings for the horse, and the lush background of flowering trees and bold plantain fronds with hanging fruit. He also includes a charming vignette of two small squirrels on the wall behind the main figure. The horse’s pose is very similar to a painting of Maharao Shatru Sal II in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, published in Archer, W.G., Indian Painting in Bundi and Kotah, London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1959, fig. 54. (V&A IS.42-1956). The background with its foliage is also quite close in detail but depicts a large entourage with the ruler.

10 Venu-Naad (The Call of the Flute) Rajasthan, Nathadwara, circa 1830 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 10 ¹⁄₈ x 13 ³⁄₈ in (25.7 x 34 cm) Painting 9 ¼ x 12 ½ in (23.5 x 31.7 cm) Provenance Old private collection, Philadelphia, acquired in the 1960s Shri Nathji and four gopis or milkmaids are placed atop a scale-like blue mound representing Mt. Govardhan where legend has it that the Swayambhu (self-born) statue of Shri Nathji was originally found. This treatment for Mt. Govardhan is commonly seen in the art of Nathadwara. Shri Nathji’s pose is that of Venugopala that signifies a cow-herd playing the venu or flute. Its sound attracts the cows and other animals seen in the painting and also the gopis who are enamored with Krishna. The figures are silhouetted against a steel gray sky making them pop out in a dramatic manner. Lush foliage is at either side and a wide assortment of animals are depicted. Cattle and deer gather along the banks of silvery gray Yamuna River. Egrets are in the river and fly across the top along with various parrots under stylized clouds represented by gold curlicues. Other birds, peacocks, and parrots are in the mounds of the mountain and monkeys play as well. The artist has taken great care to delineate so many details. The gopis are stunning, led by Radha with a feathered jewel on her head. They all wear lehenga skirts with short cholis and odhnis or dupattas over their heads.

For similar paintings see: Kalyan Krishna and Kay Talwar, In Adoration of Krishna Pichhwais of Shrinathji, Tapi Collection, Surat: Garden Silk Mills Limited, 2007, (Tapi A. 07.58), No. 81, page 210 and Amit Ambala, Krishna as Shrinathji, New York: Mapin International, 1987, pp 118 - 19.

11 Dana-lila (The Toll of Milk and Curds) Himachal Pradesh, Kangra, circa 1830 – 40 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 10 x 8 ¹⁄₈ in (25.4 x 20.6 cm) Painting 7 ⁷∕₈ x 5 ½ in (20 x 14 cm) Provenance Private Washington State collection This is clearly a representation of the Danalila, the gift of curds that takes place on Mount Govardhana at the Daan Ghati. Here much activity takes place. Krishna along with the other gopas, cow-herd boys, have demanded a toll from the gopis or milkmaids claiming the right to request tolls. Cows and calves lounge along the bottom of the painting and a gopa pours milk from a lota into his mouth in the foreground. The gopa to the far left has a vetra or cow-herd’s stick on his arm as he speaks with one of the gopis who has handed over her pot. The other girls still have their pots on their heads. Krishna sits on the edge of the platform under the tree lording it over the scene as he flirts with one of the milkmaids.

The artist has created a well-balanced composition with the cluster of gopis, Krishna, and gopas occupying the center of composition balanced by a heavily foliated tree and the Yamuna River at the top and a group of cows occupying the bottom. The lovely scene of three gopas behind the seated Krishna, one who fans him with a lotus leaf and the other two who share some milk adds charm to the painting.

12 Devi Fights an Army of Asuras Scene from the Devimahatmya, part of the Markandeya Purana Mughal, Delhi, circa 1780 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Painting 12 ³⁄₈ x 8 ³⁄₈ in (31.4 x 21.3 cm) Provenance Alperton Collection, San Francisco, CA prior to 1976 Besides the ultimate battles with Shumbha and Nishumbha, other episodes of the Devimahatmya include Devi fighting a great variety of asuras (demons): from the familiar buffalo demon Mahishasura to less familiar demons Raktabija and Dhumralochana and armies of up to sixty thousand asuras. Without labels or an inscription, it is difficult to pinpoint the particular battle depicted here.

The eight-armed Goddess stands alone facing the hordes of menacing demons to the left. Many are depicted as quite human looking, sporting horns and antlers of various types, and others are depicted in the usual manner with animal heads. A few ride horses and one even is mounted on an elephant. One demon seen at the back appears to be playing kettle drums to inspire the army. The Goddess’s vahana, the lion, attacks a demon who may have emerged from the severed body below, a common trope in the text. Most of the battles in the text involve Devi in her many forms fighting as a group. By depicting the Goddess alone, the artist underscores her significant power against the forces of evil. She faces about two dozen asuras as shown here.

13 Mahishasuramardini Scene from the Devimahatmya, part of the Markandeya Purana Karnataka, Mysore, 1880s Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 24 x 19 ⁷∕₈ in (61 x 50.5 cm) Painting 21 x 17 ¼ in (53.3 x 44 cm) Provenance Private collection of a UK Professor Against a black background the eight-armed Durga sits astride her lion and vanquishes four asuras or demons. The one at the bottom is Mahishasura, an asura whose mother was a she-buffalo and in the past, and he had gained a boon that no male could kill him. The story is told in several texts, but the Devimahatmya is the most important. In that text Devi (the Goddess) slays several other demons whom the Gods could not kill. Here she has cut off the buffalo’s head and Mahisha in his true form emerges from the severed neck only to be slain while the lion takes a bite out of his shoulder. Durga sticks a lance into another of the demons’ mouth, hits a third asura in the eye with her shield and grabs the fourth asura by the hair. She has attributes in each of her hands: a sword, an arrow, a cakra (discus), and the lance in her right hands and a shankha (conch), a bow, a shield in her left hands. Her attributes are gifts from the male Gods who were powerless against Mahisha and some of the other demons. The demons are simply no match for her prowess. The artist sets the group on a thick foliate groundline. The foliage is alive with movement and the bold colors of the shields, and the richly decorated details add great panache to the whole.

One amusing detail is the way the eye in the head of the buffalo slyly peaks out at the viewer, a real tour de force. This iconography was particularly popular in Mysore where legend has it that this event took place on the hill overlooking the city. An important temple dedicated to Durga called Chamundeshvari is at the summit of this hill. The back of the painting is pasted with a newspaper copy of the Hindu, dated Friday December 26, 1884.

14 Rishabha’s Moksha from a Pancakalyanaka series Rajasthan, Amber, circa 1680 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 10 ⁵∕₈ x 16 ⁵∕₈ in (27 x 42.2 cm) Painting 9 ¹⁄₈ x 15 ¹⁄₈ in (23.2 x 38.4 cm) Provenance Private collection Germany, collected from the early 1950s to the 1980s Inscribed in Devanagari: sidhasila… While the Shvetambara Jainas usually illustrate the life of Mahavira, the last Jina, the Digambaras with their nude Jinas emphasize the life of Rishabha, the first in the line of twenty-four Jinas. Besides some early manuscripts illustrating his life story, there are two important Digambara series of scenes having to do with the pancakalyanaka of Rishabha known from northern India. The pancakalyanaka are the five important events in the life of each of the Jinas: conception, birth, renunciation, enlightenment, and final release, moksha. One of these two series is a long scroll painting probably from Aurangabad detailed in Saryu Doshi, “The Pancha-kalyanaka Pata, School of Aurangabad,” Marg 31, No. 4 (1978), 45 – 54. The other series from which this painting comes was painted at Amber. Both series have very close compositional affinities. One can speculate that other series existed. Five nude figures, painted white, three seated in padmasana and two standing in kayotsarga, are placed above a siddhashila, a crescentshaped form, signifying that their bodiless souls have gone to the apex of the universe while still retaining the shape of the body. A solid green background with sparse vegetation along the ground line silhouettes the figures. Above the figures is a rainbow-like form which mirrors the curved siddhashila. At the same time, the five Jina figures connects the imagery to an important

concept in Jainism: The Five Supreme Beings (pancaparameshthin): the Jinas, the Liberated Ones, the Religious Guides, the Teachers, and the Saints — arhat, siddha, acarya, upadhyaya, and sadhu. These five represent the different classes of teachers within the Jain community, each of whom can be emulated by the faithful.

Other paintings from this series are in public and private collections: The San Diego Museum of Art has two (1990:213 – 14); one each in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M74.102.40); Pierpont Morgon Library (M1048.4);

Berkeley Art Museum; Cleveland Museum of Art (2021.12); Sotheby’s Oct 6, 1990, lot 104; Goenka Collection; Norton Simon (P2004.07.2) and various other collections

15 Rama’s Retinue Returns to Ayodhya A scene from the Ramayana India, Rajasthan, Jaipur, circa 1830 – 1840 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 11 ¼ x 15 ½ in (28.5 x 39.3 cm) Painting 8 ½ x 12 ¾ in (21.6 x 32.4 cm) Provenance Private collection California This painting depicts two basic scenes from the Ramayana. The main one depicts Rama and Sita in a canopied chariot-like flying vehicle (Pushpakavimana). Surrounded by a large group of vanara monkeys and bears, they all head towards Ayodhya, the city depicted and labeled at the lower right. Hanuman and Angada are labeled and lead the group with horn players and a drummer. Seated behind Rama and Sita are Lakshman, the rakshasa Vibhishana, the monkey Sugriva, and the bear Jambavan. Above the group, Brahma flies out on his hamsa or goose vehicle leading a group of devas or gods who begin to appear from the tree line at the horizon. In front of Brahma, six of the eight Lokapalas shower the vehicle with petals while the other two in their celestial cars play kettle drums. The secondary scene, at the upper right, depicts Hanuman’s earlier arrival to announce Rama’s return at Nandigrama. He stands before a group of men and two of Rama’s brothers, Bharat and Shatrughna, who kneel at the far right. Rama’s sandals that stood in for him during his exile are also depicted. In this highly detailed painting, the artist uses bright contrasting colors and copious amount of gold to depict this happy ending to the trials of Rama and his allies. Fine detailing is typically seen in the painting at Jaipur during this period and the way the colors of the monkeys are varied against the dark color of the bears enlivens the surface.

16 The Lower Realms, the Nether Regions As described in the Bhagavata Purana.V.24 India, Rajasthan, Jaipur, circa 1830 – 1840 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 16 x 11 ½ in (40.6 x 29.2 cm) Painting 13 x 8 ⁵∕₈ in (33 x 22 cm) Provenance Private collection California The horizontal levels in this painting represent the nether regions, the underworld below the world of man. Svarga being the heavenly worlds and Bhumi the world of man. There are seven levels or realms of the nether regions, presented in this painting as eight levels, and they are the home of various groups of beings: the Daityas sons of Diti and Kashyapa, a revered Vedic sage; the Danavas sons of Danu and Kashyapa; Rakshasas; and Nagas. The artist silhouettes the figures against bold colored backgrounds adding foliage and delicate architecture to some of the levels. The sevens levels are: 1

Atala ruled by Bala and he creates three types of women, here we see nine of them.

Vitala ruled by Hara-Bhava, a form of Shiva, seen here three times: in blue at either end and in white seated on a throne with his consort Bhavani.

Sutala ruled by Bali. After Vamana took the three steps over the three worlds, he sent the Daitya Bali to Sutala and Bali worshipped Vishnu. Vamana stands as watchman of the Bali’s new realm.

Talatala is the realm of asura Mayasura. Having destroyed the three cities, Tripurantaka, Shiva gave this realm to him. Here he is labeled as Mayadanava, a title given him in Bhagavata Purana.V.24.28. He is usually called an asura and labeled Mayasura, but he was a powerful danava. The Shiva figure here has a long title.

Mahatala is the abode of many Nagas of different families.

Rasatala home of the Asuras, Danavas, and Daityas who are eternal foes of the Devas. The central figure is labeled Nivatakavacha, a name of a whole class of asuras who are children of Kashyapa and Diti, and a few Daityas are labeled as such.

Patala, here represented on two levels, is the lowest realm also called nagaloka, world of the nagas. and ruled by Vasuki. Here, in the bottom register, he appears to have a name related to his elder brother Shesha. He seems to be Anantashesha who came out of Balarama’s mouth at his death; note the plow in his back right hand, an attribute of Balarama. Nagakanyas are to either side of him.

These seven levels are sometime depicted in paintings of Vishnu Vishvarupa. They are clearly seen in the legs of a painting in the Victoria and Albert Museum (IS.33-2006) with similar iconography published in Debra Diamond, ed., Yoga: The Art of Transformation, Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution, 2013, p. 163.

17 Krishna Kills Pancajana As described in the Bhagavata Purana.X.47.30 – 41 Rajasthan, Jaipur, circa 1830 – 1840 Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Folio 11 ½ x 15 ¾ in (29.2 x 40 cm) Painting 9 ¼ x 13 ½ in (23.5 x 34.3 cm) Provenance Private collection California Several scenes are depicted in this painting. On the left Krishna and Balarama along with other students study the sixty-four arts with their teacher Sandipani. In gratitude for his teaching, Krishna asks him to request a boon. Sandipani asks the God to bring back his dead son who had died in the ocean called Prabhasa. His son had been killed by the Daitya Pancajana, who lives in the water in the form of a conch. The two brothers set out in their chariot to look for Prabhasa and after reaching it the god of the ocean greets them telling them that Pancajana was the one who killed the boy. Krishna locates and kills the demon and when he doesn’t find the boy’s body, he takes the conch. It gets named Pancajanva and becomes one of Krishna’s most powerful weapons. Later in the story, he will blow Pancajanva summoning Yama, the lord of the dead, who will produce the boy and Krishna and Balarama will return him to his parents. Reading left to right Krishna and Balarama are depicted several times: seated in front of Sandipani; together in their chariot leaving Avanti; and at the shore of Prabhasa where Balarama stays in the chariot and Krishna confronts the god of the ocean; and Krishna is depicted a fourth time in the water slaying the demon. The god of the ocean is a fabulous creature covered with snakes. Every detail is carefully painted, and figures are labeled.

18 Krishna Leaves Kosala with Satya and Arjuna Fights an Army As described in the Bhagavata Purana.X. 58.53 – 55 Madhya Pradesh, Malwa, circa 1720 Ink and opaque watercolor on paper Folio 7 ½ x 11 ³⁄₈ in (19 x 29 cm) Provenance Private collection, Paris 1975 – 2000 Nagnajit, the king of Kosala, had offered his daughter Nagnajiti, also called Satya, in marriage to a prince that could tame seven wild bulls. Everyone prince who took the challenge failed until Krishna arrived and managed to overpower them, so the king gave his daughter in marriage to Krishna as his fifth principal wife. They set off for Dwaraka in a chariot with Arjuna as charioteer along with a huge contingent of chariots, soldiers, women, and animals given to Krishna as a dowry. The princes that had vied for the hand of Satya then attacked the procession. The artist arranges the action in two registers. Against a solid red background, he depicts the couples’ chariot at the top with the crowned Arjuna using his magical bow Gandiva, shoots arrows at the opposing forces. Four horsemen ride towards him and two ride away taking Parthian shots at him. Arrows fly in both directions. In the bottom register against a blue background studded with flowering plants more of the battle takes place. One of the nine thousand elephants given in the dowry dominates the left-hand portion. Horsemen from both forces confront each other. Interestingly the artist includes two couples on foot. Since the men carry vetras, cow-herd’s sticks, as well as swords they are clearly members of the cowherder community, gopas and gopis.

19 A Portable Shrine of the Jagannatha Temple Odisha (Orissa), Puri, circa late 19th century Ink and opaque watercolor on paper mounted on wood Closed 13 ¾ x 18 ¼ in (35 x 46.4 cm) Extended 13 ¾ x 33 ½ in (35 x 85 cm) Provenance Private old collection Germany acquired prior to 2007 The image of Jagannatha (meaning Lord of the Universe) is unusual since it is a stump of wood with no arms or feet. It is likely a figure with tribal roots in Odisha which was later coopted and incorporated into Hindu devotion and associated with Vishnu, specifically Krishna. In the central panel, he is seen in the Triade at the center of the depiction of the temple along with his brother Balabhadra (or Balarama) and his sister Subhadra. In this carefully painted work with hundreds of figures, he is the figure with a black face and large circular eyes. The main temple is surrounded by a plethora of smaller temples and devotees and the setting of Puri on the Bay of Bengal is represented by the water symbolism at the bottom of the central panel. This group of the three gods is seen multiple times in the two central sections of the left and the right panels. These most likely refer to various festivals and stories about the three. The Dashavatara (Ten principal incarnations of Vishnu) span the top levels of each side panel. A devotee, Vishnu on Garuda, and Shiva are at the bottom level on the left panel and the sage Narada with his hands clasped in prayer carrying a Rudra vina, Vishnu on Garuda, and Brahma are at the bottom level on the right panel. The exterior of the door panels depict symmetrical images of Vishnu.

Based on the Ratha Yatra or Chariot Festival at Puri where the temple is located the British coined the word juggernaut. The chariots are huge, and devotees were known to throw themselves under the massive wheels in a state of religious devotion.

For an example of a painting similar to the central panel depicting the Jagannatha temple now in the Welcome Collection in London (ma8nvaca) see: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/ma8nvaca

20 Birjis Qadr, Nawab of Awadh Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, circa 1865 Ink and opaque watercolor on paper Folio 11 ⁵∕₈ x 7 ⁷∕₈ in (29.5 x 20 cm) Provenance Private UK collection Although misidentified in the Nasta‘liq label this must be a portrait of Nawab Birjis Qadar (1845 – 93). His likeness is quite similar to a portrait of him, at Leith Hall Garden & Estate, owned by the National Trust for Scotland published on the web at: https://artuk.org/discover/artists/ angloindian-school and on a Wikipedia page. After his father Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was deposed as ruler of Awadh and exiled to Calcutta, Birjis Qadr was made Nawab by his mother Begum Hazrat Mahal during the Sepoy Mutiny while Lucknow was very much in the news due to a long siege. At the end of the revolt the monarchy was abolished and Birjis Qadar and his mother and retainers were exiled to Kathmandu. He became a renowned poet and married a granddaughter of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. He was pardoned in 1887, returned to India, and was murdered in 1893.

Birjis Qadr sits in a European style armchair and is elaborately dressed in brocade fabric with an overall boteh or paisley pattern and dons a similarly patterned conical hat. The setting is opulent with an ornate balustrade overlooking a river or lake with trees in the distance. The whole has a European flavor with a gilded table ormolu clock and glass lamps. A bold swag of red cloth partially covers what must be an intricate patterned ceiling drawn diagonally. The whole is highly detailed, adding a refined texture to the surface of the painting.

21 A Woodcarver Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur (Tanjore), Company School, circa 1770 Ink and opaque watercolor on paper Folio 12 ³⁄₈ x 8 ⁷∕₈ in (31.5 x 22.5 cm) Painting 11 x 7 ½ in (28 x 19 cm) Provenance Private French collection This painting along with catalogue number 22 was part of a group that depicted various occupations. An album at the Victoria and Albert Museum with thirty-six paintings of castes and occupations of South India, each showing men and their wives with the attributes of their trades, is very close in style to this painting. Their compositions share the same banded foreground, plain backgrounds, and sky suggesting clouds. This set concentrates on the single depiction of the worker and the trade itself is more dominant. The woodcarver holding a mallet and chisel chips away at a large block of wood while his attendant brings him another block of wood. The rectangular pieces below him have already been chiseled. The stark whiteness of his turban and dhoti enlivens the picture surface and the pale green background is reminiscent of many earlier portrait paintings known from North India.

He is obviously a man of means; he wears gold earrings and has on a necklace. The many stripes of white streaked across parts of his body and forehead denote his Shaiva affiliation, he is a worshiper of Shiva.

For the comparable album Victoria and Albert Museum, London (AL.9128) see: Mildred Archer, Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series, London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992.

22 A Basket Weaver Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur (Tanjore), Company School, circa 1770 Ink and opaque watercolor on paper Folio 12 ³⁄₈ x 8 ¾ in (31.5 x 22.2 cm) Painting 11 x 7 ½ in (28 x 19 cm) Provenance Private French collection This painting along with catalogue number 21 was part of a group that depicted various occupations. These sets of paintings were often bound into albums and marketed to Europeans. In responding to demands, artists at great many areas of India produced similar sets of paintings. Collectively they are called Company School relating to the East India Company.

The basket weaver sits on the ground with his legs extended holding a large basket on his lap while finishing the neck. A similar finished basket beyond his feet balances the composition creating a bold diagonal underlined by the long bundle of rattan. Another bowl-shaped basket and a few of his tools are below the man. He is unadorned, identifying him as being of a lower caste than the woodcarver seen in catalogue number 21.

For the comparable album Victoria and Albert Museum, London (AL.9128) see: Milfred Archer, Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series, London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992.

23 A Group of Six Paintings on Leather Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool region, Nossam, 19th century Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on leather Each 10 ¼ in in diameter (26 cm) Round paintings on leather are found in several museums and private collections and their exact provenance was once disputed. Madhugiri in Karnataka was once suggested as well as Nirmal in Telangana and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh cited in some collections. Fairly recently John Seyller and Jagdish Mittal finally confirmed that they are from the Kurnool region of Andhra Pradesh. In their volumes on Deccani painting they illustrated a roundel portrait of a Raja of Gadwal executed at Nossam, near Kurnool. They state that Nossam was famous for circular mats executed on leather. There are examples in the British Museum (2008,3020.1-6), the Victoria and Albert Museum (01991:(IS) and 01992:(IS), and in the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (1988.51.15-18). In this group catalogue number 23c depicts Krishna mounted on a composite goose made up of three women. These acrobatic composites were popular compositions with many other five women horses and nine women elephants among the known examples. The 17th century French jeweler and traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier described female acrobats forming a chariot on which Abdulla Qutb Shah, the sultan of Golconda (r. 1626-72) seated when he entered the town of Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam) Andhra Pradesh east of the Kurnool region.

Other popular themes are circular groups of animals where one can read the number of animals represented in various ways from four to twelve as seen in 23d and 23e. Dancers were another theme as seen in catalogue numbers 23a and 23b. Catalogue number 23f depicts a nobleman and his servant similar to, but less ambitious, to the example illustrated in Seyller and Mittal’s volume.

23a

Six Women Perform the Kolattam Dance Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool region, Nossam, 19th century Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on leather Each 10 ¼ in in diameter (26 cm) The six women wearing elaborate jewelry are each dressed alike in alternating red and yellow costumes. Kolattam of Kolannalu (literally “beating sticks” in the Telugu) is a dance performed at Goddess temples and during harvest festivals in Andhra Pradesh.

The Telugu inscription begins: Yastrilu… (yastţi means rods or sticks)

23b

Six Women Perform an Acrobatic Dance Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool region, Nossam, 19th century Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on leather Each 10 ¼ in in diameter (26 cm) Similar to catalogue 23a the six women are elaborately bejeweled and are in alternating colors. Here they pull off a balancing feat: three of the women dance locking arms while they each support a woman on her shoulders. Both catalogue numbers 22a and 22b paintings are

reminiscent of a roundel in the British Museum, London (2008,3010.6) of a group of dancers depicting the Rasa-lila of Krishna with gopis, which is described in the Bhagavata Purana.X.29 The Telugu inscription is unclear.

23c

Krishna Rides a Composite Goose Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool region, Nossam, 19th century Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on leather Each 10 ¼ in in diameter (26 cm) The goose is composed of three female acrobats, a common trope in the leather roundels of the Kurnool region. It compares well with other examples in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco (1988.51.17) and the British Art Museum, London (2008,3010.3).

The Telugu inscription reads: Trinari Hamsa (Three-lady goose)

For this iconography and a few other composites from the San Francisco group, see: Robert J. Del Bontà, "Indian composite paintings: a playful art," Orientations, January 1996, pp. 31 – 38, where Madhugiri, Karnataka was given as the place of origin.

23d

Horses Sharing Four Heads Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool region, Nossam, 19th century Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on leather Each 10 ¼ in in diameter (26 cm) These horses formed into a circular arrangement depict more than four animals. Reading them in various ways there are twelve horses in all sharing the four heads. The Telugu inscription describing the group includes Arabic numerals 4 and 12.

The Telugu inscription’s first line is unclear followed by: 4 Mukha (Faces) 12 Gugguriyalu (bodies)

23e

Yalis Sharing Four Heads Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool region, Nossam, 19th century Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on leather Each 10 ¼ in in diameter (26 cm) These mythical yalis, lion-like composite animals, formed into a circular arrangement depict more than four animals. Reading them in various ways there are eight lions in all sharing the four heads. The Telugu inscription describing the group includes Arabic numerals 4 and 8. The center between the bodies is decorated with an elaborate floral motif.

The Telugu inscription reads: 4 Mukha (Faces) 8 Samyamalu (Twins).

23f

A Nobleman and His Servant Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool region, Nossam, 19th century Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on leather Each 10 ¼ in in diameter (26 cm) Inscribed in English on the servant’s badge: 1890 Nosam A nobleman sits in a Western style chair with his legs crossed and holding a flower in his right hand. A round European style table is between him and his servant who stands facing him with his hands together in greeting. They are boldly silhouetted

against a black background. Groups of flowers against a gold background suggest a garden below their feet. The Telugu inscription is unclear. For a similar portrait see: John Seyller and Jagdish Mittal, Deccani Paintings, Drawings, and Manuscripts in the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Art, vol. 2, Hyderabad: Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Art, 2018, pp. 364 – 65.

Art Passages San Francisco California · USA 1.415.690.9077 info@artpassages.com www.artpassages.com

Art Passages San Francisco · California · USA 1.415.690.9077

info@artpassages.com