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Lot 343

The Sikh Guru Nanak lying near the Qa'ba at Mecca, rebuked by an imam
Punjab Plains, mid-19th Century

23 April 2013, 10:30 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £4,375 inc. premium

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The Sikh Guru Nanak lying near the Qa'ba at Mecca, rebuked by an imam
Punjab Plains, mid-19th Century

gouache and gold on paper, red border, in mount
270 x 220 mm.

Footnotes

The scene, and others from the life of Guru Nanak, appears in illustrated Janamsakhi manuscripts, though it was often painted as a scene in itself.

Guru Nanak travelled throughout India and elsewhere for 24 years, spreading his message. In one of the scenes the Guru is depicted at Mecca (in the course of a journey through the Middle East made between 1517-22) being rebuked by an imam for lying with his feet facing the Qa'ba. The Guru replied 'In which direction does God not live?'

For another similar depiction of the scene, see the sale in these rooms, Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 2nd October 2012, lot 206.

Additional information