
Dora Tan
Head of Sale, Specialist
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Sold for US$1,083.75 inc. premium
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Head of Sale, Specialist

International Director
This scene possibly depicts kidnapped Sita being consoled by her sakhis in Ravana's palace gardens. The exuberant colors and fantastical vegetation epitomize the charming naiveté of 'Paithan' painting, named after the town in Maharashtra where examples were first discovered by art historians. Representing an almost completely indigenous style, such paintings were created by a caste of itinerant oral storytellers (Chitrakathi) in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh who held them up during recitals to illustrate the action for their audience. For its pleasing subject, colors, and condition, the present lot compares favorably to two other paintings likely from the same Ramayana series sold at Christie's, South Kensington, 3 April 2009, lots 332 and 334.
Provenance:
Private Virginia Collection, acquired 1990s