Lot 80
LADIES BATHING IN A PALACE POOL FILLED WITH LOTUS FLOWERS
INDIA, RAJASTHAN, JAIPUR, CIRCA 1780
Auction: 10 December 2025 from 14:00 GMT
Description
gouache on paper heightened in gold, within black and gold margin lines, gold floral outer border, depicting a princess seated on a gold throne in the foreground, a female attendant waving a caurie behind her, two female servants bringing her food and drinks, all within a very detailed palace setting, a tree line above them with yellow, green and red saris strewn, and above that a scene of nude ladies swimming amongst the lilies with a female attendant on either side, verso with a faded Bikaner library stamp, and nagari inscriptions in black ink with the dated 1641, mounted, glazed and framed
Dimensions
30.4cm x 21.9cm
Provenance
The property of a Lady.
Footnote
Bikaner, an important state to the north of Rajasthan and close to the Thar Desert linked militarily to the Mughal court, was greatly influenced in the seventeenth century by the Mughal and Deccani artists who brought much refinement to the Bikaner school. Isa and Ruknuddin were two leading Bikaner artists at this time and their influence continued on into the eighteenth century. The artist of this high quality, decorative palace scene with its exquisite attention to detail, has clearly followed the earlier Bikaner masters.
For further discussion see S. C. Welch, A Flower from Every Meadow: Indian Paintings from American Collections, Asia House, New Yor, 1973, nos. 31-33; P. Pal, Court Painters of India, 16th - 19th Centuries, New York, 1983, R10, and; S.C. Welch, India Art and Culture 1300-1900, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, nos. 165, 247, 252, 260, 268, pp. 335 and 420.