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AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 1
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 2
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 3
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 4
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 5
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 6
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 7
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 8
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 9
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 10
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 11
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 12
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 13
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 14
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 15
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 16
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 17
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 18
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 19
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 20
AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS PUNJAB, circa 1850-60 image 21
Lot 334

AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS
PUNJAB, circa 1850-60

Islamic and Indian Art
25 October 2021, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £52,750 inc. premium

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AN ALBUM OF FIFTY-NINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS OF SIKH SUBJECTS, INCLUDING MAHARAJAH RANJIT SINGH, MONUMENTS INCLUDING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE AT AMRITSAR AND THE TOMB OF RANJIT SINGH, AND NUMEROUS TRADESPEOPLE AND ENTERTAINERS
PUNJAB, circa 1850-60

watercolours on paper, endpapers watermarked 1865, all with English identifying inscriptions, probably contemporary and local brown leather binding with floral motifs
285 x 210 mm.

Footnotes

Provenance
A. Kerr, 1868, a gift from a Captain B. Smith (partially indistinct pencil inscription in front endpaper).
Private UK collection.

For similar albums, apparently often acquired by British visitors to the Punjab, see the sales in these rooms, Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 30th April 2019, lot 212; 26th October 2020, lot 268; 30th March 2021, lot 124; and various other instances of single paintings or groups of paintings from dispersed albums.

There is one less painting than the sixty which is standard for this type of album.

The subjects of the paintings are as follows, in order:
Maharajah Ranjit Singh, 'ex-King of Lahore', and Maharajah Kharak Singh.
Maharani Jindan Kaur, and Maharajah Duleep Singh.
Rajah Dhian Singh, and Maharajah Gulab Singh.
Shere Singh Atariwala, and Sirdar Chattar Singh.
Rajah Suchet Singh, and Rajah Hira Singh.
Rajah Shere Singh, and Maharajah Moon Mahal Singh.
Phula Singh Akali, 'Sikh Priest', and Rajah Labh Singh.
Fakir Noor-ud-Din, and Dost Muhammad Khan.
Ranbir Singh, 'Cashmere Wallah', and Sham Singh Atariwala.
Rajah Dina Nath, Nabob Shere Khan, 'Mooltan Wallah'.
The Jama Masjid, Lahore.
The Masjid of Wazir Khan, Lahore.
The Tomb of Ranjit Singh, Lahore.
'Amitsar, Gurus Darbar' [The Golden Temple].
Shala Bagh.
The Mausoleum of Jahangir, Lahore.
The Taj Mahal.
The Jumma Masjid, Delhi.
The Qutb Minar, Delhi.
Badshahi Takht, Lahore[?]
Two men at a distillery.
A man churning oil.
Two hunters.
Embroiderers.
A millstone being turned by an ox.
A maker of metal vessels.
A man and two women sieving and pounding grain.
Comb manufacturers.
A barber.
A carpenter.
A drummer and a Sepoy rifleman.
A potter.
A dyer of cloth.
A bookbinder.
Silk weavers.
Rope dancers, with one of their number in an outlandish costume.
Masons.
Two beggars.
A muleteer and his wife.
'Hoondee wallah' (a banker or accountant).
A blacksmith.
Two female silk weavers.
Grain sealers [?]
Goldsmiths.
Cotton spinners and carders.
A man milking a cow.
An irrigation mechanism and water supply system turned by oxen.
A bear dancer.
A butcher.
A cutter of timber.
A female acrobat and a drummer.
Boot and shoe makers.
A cloth weaver and his wife.
Opium smokers.
Ribbon makers [?]
Dancing monkeys and their handler.
A bhishti (water-seller) at a well.
A dancing girl with three musicians.
A doctor: this also labelled Punjabee Book containing pictures of workmen etc, etc.

Additional information