Demons Fighting Over an Animal Limb - Late 17th Century

In this painting, set in a fantastic landscape with rocks, trees and a cityscape in the distance, two fearsome demons are seen quarreling over the leg of an animal. In the middle ground, three women dressed in typical Rajput fashion and carrying water pots, are oblivious to the demons in their midst. Demonic of this bizarreness are best known in Central Asian manuscript painting, and indeed this is probably their origin, transmitted to India via Persian models. The painter reveals himself as one trained in Rajasthan, probably in the Bikaner court, who was exposed to Deccani painting, either through travel or by access to Deccan paintings at his patron’s library.

Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Source: metmuseum.org

Khambhavati Ragini, Page from a Dispersed Ragamala Series (Garland of Musical Modes) - Rajasthan, Bikaner, c1675

Artist: Ebrahim, Son of Ruknuddin
Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Source: metmuseum.org

A Lady Applying Henna to Her Raised Foot - Rajasthan, Bikaner, c1720-30

Artist: Ustad Mohamed, son of Murad
Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor on paper
Source: metmuseum.org

A Lady Applying Henna to Her Raised Foot - Rajasthan, Bikaner, c1725

Artist:  Ustad Mohamed, son of Murad
Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Source: metmuseum.org

The Gopis Plead with Krishna to Return Their Clothing Folio from a Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu) series- Rajasthan, Bikaner, c1610

Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

One of the most popular stories of the Krishna legends, this rendering reflects the subimperial Mughal style that evolved in Bikaner and some other Rajput courts. The artist has employed a limited color scheme, redolent of the indigenous Rajput style, and combined that with landscape elements of Mughal derivation. The translucent treatment of the water is a new innovation, again reflecting an awareness of Mughal naturalism.

Source: metmuseum.org

Page from a Dispersed Rasikapriya (Lover's Breviary) - Rajasthan, Bikaner, c1685

Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold and silver on paper
Source: metmuseum.org

Panchama Ragini, Page from a Dispersed Ragamala Series (Garland of Musical Modes) - Rajasthan, Bikaner, c1640

Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Source: metmuseum.org

Mahadevi, the Great Goddess - Bikaner, Rajasthan c1725

Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and silver on paper
In this twenty-armed form, Mahadevi holds an array of weapons affiliating her with all the male gods, an iconography associated with Durga, the natural opponent of the buffalo demon Mahisha. Here, she is Devi as the protector deity of the ruling household of Bikaner, Rajasthan; the red third eye and the crescent moon in her hair affirm her affiliation with Shiva. Devi appears to be dancing but is actually assuming a warrior’s combatant stance, appropriate to the mood evoked by her arsenal of weapons. She stands on a lotus flower, the traditional iconographic "throne" of Indian deities, denoting purity and sanctity.

Source: metmuseum.org

Eklavya Practicing Archery by Y. G. Srimati - c1945-46

Medium: Watercolor with graphite underdrawing
Source: metmuseum.org

Parashurama, (Rama with the Battle Axe) the Sixth Avatar of Vishnu by Y. G. Srimati - 1946

Medium: Watercolor with graphite underdrawing, applied by brush, on medium-weight wove paper
Source: metmuseum.org

Shiva Gangadhara (Bearer of the Ganga, artist's title Shiva Nataraja) by Y. G. Srimati - c1945

Medium: Watercolor with graphite underdrawing, applied by brush, on medium-weight wove paper
Source: metmuseum.org

Saraswati, Goddess of Learning and Music, Playing a Vina by Y. G. Srimati - c1947-48

Medium: Watercolor, graphite underdrawing
Source: metmuseum.org

Hamida Banu Begum, wife of Mughal Emperor Humayun. Anglo-Indian school at Lucknow - circa late 19th century

Medium: Opaque watercolour on warqa, laid down on later card
The inscription translates "Hamida Banu Begum, zauja (wife) Shah Jahan Badshah (king)". Collectors and dealers are usually pleased to find an old inscription on a painting, assuming it to be correct, but this is often - like here - not the case, in this instance having a husband still to be born! Identification of portraits Mughal Emperors' wives are notoriously difficult to identify due to the artists never having seen them, meaning they instead painted imaginary likenesses according to contemporary notions of beauty.
Hamida Banu Begum's legacy is the mausoleum she commissioned, Humayun's Tomb, following his death.

Source: indianminiaturepaintings.co.uk

Portrait of Thakur Umrao Singh ji, attributed to the artist Rahim ji - Bikaner, early 19th century

Medium: Gouache on wasli
In a hybrid style typical of Bikaner at the time after large scale migration of artists from Jaipur who by and large continued to paint in the Jaipuri manner.
Rajasthan's thikanas (feudal states within a kingdom) were granted with the title thakur (equivalent to a lord) by the maharaja in recognition for loyalty and service.
Source: indianminiaturepaintings.co.uk

Illustration to (one of the Hundred Aspects of) Vishnu Satnaam, Krishna, counsellor to Arjuna - Bikaner, Early 19th Century

Medium: Opaque watercolour on wasli
Source: indianminiaturepaintings.co.uk/

Folio from a Tantric manuscript on Ekadashi, the 11th tithi of shukla paksha - Jaipur c1800

Medium: Opaque water-colour with gold on wasli
Aspects of time in this Tantric system include the 15 tithis (lunar days) of shukla paksha (lit. 'the bright phase'). Tithis have an astrological significance and Ekadashi is considered auspicious so is important when it comes to planning occasions such as weddings and diksha ceremonies held for inordination into a sampradeya (religious order). According to the text and as is shown in the painting, the swami (lord) of this tithi is Vishwedeva with a vahana (mount) of a mriga(deer/antelope/black-buck).

Source: indianminiaturepaintings.co.uk

Preparation for the Nuth Uterwai ceremony at a courtesan's kotha. Awadh - Late 18th Century

Medium: Opaque watercolour with gold on wasli, laid down on later thin card

On the terrace of a kotha (where courtesans entertain clients) pavilion, the central figure of a naika (approximating a brothel madam) smokes a huqqa. Around her tawaifs (courtesans) sing as part of a Nuth Uterwai ceremony in which the reclining young virginal woman wearing a flower garland will be deflowered and hence initiated into her new profession.

The folio was at some time after its production inscribed on front and back with fanciful attributions: below the inner borders red Persian script "Pashahi Zadeh badr al-nisa Begum"; at the foot in English: "No.40 Budoorul  Nisa Begum of Bagdad"; on the reverse: "Pashazadi Badranisha". Each is a reminder to dealers and collectors of the problems inherent in inscriptions on Indian miniatures which were often added at a later date and as nothing more than guesswork entirely without foundation. Perhaps in this case a dealer hoped the painting might more easily find a buyer if it was showing not a courtesan but a more exotic Oriental figure, a begum of Baghdad.

Source: indianminiaturepaintings.co.uk

Colour Plates from the Book Nine Ideal Indian Women by Maharanee Sunity Devee of Cooch Behar - 1919

Stories of the nine great women from Indian Mythologies written by Maharani Sunity Devi. The nine great women of this book are Sati, Sunity, Sakuntala, Savitri, Shaibya, Sita, Promila, Damayanti and Uttara.

 

Her Highness, Maharani Suniti Devi ( or Sunity Devi ) CIE (1864-1932) was the Maharani of Princely state of Koch Bihar, India.
In 1887, her husband, Maharja Nipendra Narayan was awarded GCIE and she was awarded CIE. Suniti Devi became the first Indian women to be awarded CIE. She attended the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria in 1898 and Delhi Durbar of 1911 with her husband, the Maharaja of Cooch Behar. She along with her sister, the Maharani of Mayurbhanj, Sucharu Devi, were noted for their elegant style dressing.
Know more about her in Wikipedia


Illustrations: S N Das
Read the Full Book Here

Various Filmindia Magazine Covers - from 1946 to 1958

 Jhamela - Geeta Bali, Bhagwan February 1952

January 1955

 Suvarna Sundari - September 1958

 Insaniyat - September 1955

Amar Prem - Madhubala, Raj Kapoor April 1948

Gold or Sona - June 1946

Barsaat - Nargis, Raj Kapoor, November 1948

 Awara - Nargis, Raj Kapoor, October 1950

Tarand - Madhubala, Dilip Kumar, Tarand

Source: bollymusings.tumblr.com/

Folio from a Nayaka Nayika bheda. A loving couple, partially undresseed drinking wine on a palace terrace - Hyderabad late 18th Century

Nayika Nayaka bheda refers to the classifications of romantic moods and situations experienced by lovers which inspired Indian poets to write long poems such as the Rasikapriya of Keshav Das (circa 1591); these in turn provided inspiration to the artists of Rajput painting workshops.

Medium: Opaque watercolour with gold on wasli
Source: indianminiaturepaintings.co.uk