Lot 131
A HINDU MARRIAGE SCENE
INDIA, PATNA, CIRCA 1830-1860
Auction: 09 December 2026 from 14:00 GMT
Description
gouache on mica, depicting a Hindu marriage scene with a wedding party seated beneath a decorative canopy carrying out a wedding ritual in the presence of the Panigrahana, the pujari is seated centrally with the married couple to the right, mounted, glazed and framed
Dimensions
13.6cm x 17.8cm
Provenance
Formerly, in a private UK collection.
Footnote
Mica Indian paintings are a traditional form of miniature art that flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries as part of the Company School, where local artists created vibrant souvenirs for European travelers and British East India Company officials. Painted with gouache or watercolors on thin, transparent, and flexible sheets of muscovite mica, these artworks boast a distinctively luminous and sharp appearance because the mineral substrate does not absorb pigment like paper. Primarily produced in major centers like Patna, Murshidabad, and Tiruchirappalli, they captured detailed depictions of everyday Indian life, including local tradespeople, festivals, Hindu deities, and native wildlife, mimicking the popular European trend of reverse glass painting.