
Mark Rasmussen
International Director
This auction has ended. View lot details



Sold for US$47,500 inc. premium
Our Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialist
International Director
Rendered in exquisite detail, this charming scene of a lovelorn nayika gently caressing a parakeet is the epitome of illustrated love poetry popular in the Punjab Hills in the late 18th and early 19th century. The small pet bird keeps her entertained until the return of a beloved fiancé or husband. Parakeets represent fertility, so the scene may symbolize a wish for the princess to become a bride and have a life with many children. Indian ring-neck parakeets are one of the birds most commonly kept as pets, though if not given sufficient affection they become unruly.
The profile of the nayika is masterfully drawn with soft rounded nose and chin and small plump lips. In addition, the very pale yellow tone of her skin and wisps of hair trailing across her ear are all common elements from the hand of Sajnu. Sajnu was a master painter from Kangra who worked in the court of Isvari Sen, Raja of Mandi (r. 1788-1826), from 1800-20. He is best known for his beautifully painted floral borders and spandrels, often oval-shaped central images, extensive use of white, and a lyrical quality found throughout his compositions, as evident in the present lot. Compare with several pages attributed to Sajnu in Archer, Indian Paintings in the Punjab Hills, London, 1973, vol.II, pp.273-6, nos.42-50, also see Kalista & Rochell, Classical Indian Paintings, New York, 2015, p.99, no.36.
Although following the idea of a ruler in a jharokha window, the concept of the courtesan in this mode is unknown. A closely related portrait of a lady holding a wine cup within a similar oval composition was attributed to Kangra and dated circa 1780 by Simon Ray in Indian and Islamic Works of Art, London, 2008, p.158, no.69. Another attributed to Jaipur is published in Tandon, Miniature Painting 16th through 19th centuries, 1982, fig.176. A third attributed to Golconda in the Binney collection is published in Desai, Life at Court, 1985, p.77, no.61.
Provenance
Royal Mandi Collection
Private European Collection acquired in 1969
Rob Dean Art, London, 2015