South Asia, India, Mughal Empire, ca. 18th Century CE. A finely painted depiction of four attractive Mughal woman on horseback, all bedecked in luxurious jewelry and garments, one holding a white bird, with a flock of similar birds flying in the sky above and two white dogs running below. Finely painted on paper (either Bansaha from crushed bamboo, Tatha from jute, or Tulat from cotton) and matted and framed under glass so that both the painted image on the front and the text on the verso are visible. There also appears to be a signature at lower left of the painting. Size: 8.5" L x 6.5" W (21.6 cm x 16.5 cm); 13.875" L x 11.75" W (35.2 cm x 29.8 cm) including frame
Mughal painting refers to a type of miniature painting - either serving as book illustrations or created as single work. The term miniature suggests a tiny scale; however, it actually indicates a style of watercolor work similar to early European book illustrations that used the red pigment minia. Some Indian miniatures are actually relatively large. The Mughal style stems from Persian miniature painting, though with Indian Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist influences, evolving largely throughout the Mughal Empire (16th to 19th centuries), and eventually spreading to other Indian courts - Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh - flourishing during the reigns of Akbar, Shah Jahan, and Jahangir. The tradition continues today with Mughal-style miniature paintings still being created, though only by a relatively small number of artists in Rajasthan.
Provenance: ex-Moore collection, Denver, Colorado, USA, acquired 30 years ago
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#152174
Condition
Note that both sides of the page are visible, the painting on one side and the text on the verso. The page has not been examined outside the frame but appears to be in very good condition save slight toning and minute loss to one margin that do not interfere with the imagery or text. There also appears to be a signature at lower left of the painting.