Lot 9 Details

Himmat in London. 17 December 2021-13 February 2022

Himmat Shah

Untitled

Bronze

View Dimensions Height: 35 in (88.9 cm)
Width: 12.5 in (32 cm)
Depth: 9 in (23 cm)

Lot 18 Details

Himmat in London. 17 December 2021-13 February 2022

Himmat Shah

Untitled

Bronze

View Dimensions Height: 121.25 in (308 cm)
Width: 74.5 in (189.5 cm)
Depth: 35.75 in (91.44 cm)

Lot 23 Details

Himmat in London. 17 December 2021-13 February 2022

Himmat Shah

Untitled

Bronze

View Dimensions Height: 21 in (54 cm)
Width: 10 in (18.5 cm)
Depth: 8 in (25.3 cm)

Lot 30 Details

Himmat in London. 17 December 2021-13 February 2022

Himmat Shah

Untitled

Bronze

View Dimensions Height: 52.75 in (134 cm)
Width: 35.75 in (91 cm)
Depth: 62 in (157.4 cm)

Lot 24 Details

Select Indian Antiquities & Collectibles. 18 Apr-1 May 2013

Ramayana...

Mid 19th Century
...

View Dimensions This brightly painted folk paper painting is part of a continuous painted theme, and would have been part of a set used by 'Chitrakathis'. The Chitrakathis were gypsies who wandered from village to village as traditional storytellers. Their audience mainly consisted of children. The stories were episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. One person would hold up a page while another would narrate the story to the audience. As the crowds were large and seated at a distance, the figures were painted in a large size so that the viewers could manage to see from far. Colours used were bright so as to attract children.

It is important to understand that the artists who painted these folios had talented hands. This is evident from the smooth and fine outlining that is done. The rest of the finishing and colours were selected with the objective of entertaining the audience.

The theme of this particular example is Sita being forced to marry Ravana. The blue-skinned, ten-headed figure with twenty arms is king Ravana of Lanka. He is seen holding swords, knives and daggers of all size and shape. He has a terrifying look on his face. Ravana wears gold necklaces and gold bracelets. He wears a red dhoti with a green fabric around his waist. Sita has a terrified look on her face and raises her hands above her head in fear, as Meghanada, the son of Ravana, is all set to attack her from the other side. Sita wears a blue blouse and red sari. She is bejeweled. Meghanada, also blue-skinned, has long flowing hair. He holds a bow in his left hand and a long sword in his raised right hand. The artist has painted the figures with a voluptuous sense of colour.

Paintings such as this one would have served the same purpose as cartoons and animation in today's world.

Lot 19 Details

Select Indian Antiquities & Collectibles. 18 Apr-1 May 2013

Lady Awaits Lover

Leaf from a Ragamala Set
...

View Dimensions Ragamala literally translates as 'garland of musical notes'. Ragamala paintings synthesize music, poetry and painting. A Raga is a combination of notes. These notes are said to create a mood depending on their combination. Therefore there exist different seasons, occasions and times for singing these ragas. Painters in medieval times made pictorial translations for these notes. These resulted in Ragamala Paintings.

This fine Ragamala painting is from the Amer School and represents Gauri Ragini, an evening raga associated with autumn and a contemplative mood. A pretty looking dusky lady, wearing a short tight choli and a long golden skirt, with an odhna covering her head, is seen seated on a carpet with her head bent low, awaiting her lover. She is longingly looking at a bed with a wonderful canopy. The lady has expressive eyes, a sharp nose and small lips. Her jewellery consists of gold and pearl necklaces, earrings, armbands, anklets and bangles. She holds a twig of leaves in her right hand. The house is well decorated; there are niches on the wall, holding long-necked bottles, and the floor has a beautiful green carpet with a red border. A bed is placed with two pillows on it. The doorway is adorned with a lovely embroidered curtain that has been rolled and tied. The terrace wall is delicately painted. Thickly foliated trees can be seen beyond the boundary wall. The four-post bed with a purple and gold canopy in the courtyard has a pillow kept in one corner. A focal point of this painting is the copious use of gold paint on the skirt of the lady, the thick bolster against which she rests, the border of the curtain within the house as well as on the curtain hanging on the doorway to the entrance to the house. A thick border around the canopy is also gold painted. There is a lovely red with green border sun-shade above the entrance to the house.

There are various pictorial representations of Gauri Ragini. This unusual one shows the lover in waiting dressing her hair with flowers from a mango tree. One can see a branch of the tree in her hand with leaves and fruits. The bed next to her has been decorated with petals. She awaits the arrival of her lover. The four line script on the top describes the subject. It is very rare to find paintings of this quality and period in such mint condition.

Lot 22 Details

Select Indian Antiquities & Collectibles. 18 Apr-1 May 2013

Kunwar Sardar...

Mid 19th Century

Jaipur...

View Dimensions This is a delicately executed portrait of a young Maharaja - Kunwar Sardarsinghji.

The superbly finished miniature painting shows the young Maharaja, immaculately dressed in a long red and gold full-sleeved jama, standing on a low terrace balcony of his palace, holding a rose in his right hand. A nimbus behind his head signifies his royal status. Kunwar Sardar Singhji Bahadur is shown with a tender and expressive face. He is quite obviously very young. He has a lovely complexion and wears a spectacular and fashionable headgear. It is red in colour with gold braiding and precious stones. The artist has actually used a drop of paint so well that it looks as though the precious stone is set on the painting itself. The facial modeling is superb and a tuft of fine hair creeps in from behind his ear. A fine long vermillion mark adorns his forehead. Although young, his expression is firm. He also wears pearl necklaces and gold bracelets. His footwear is an embroidered 'mojri'. The flower in his hand is very delicately painted with each of the petals visible.

The terrace has a low balustrade with fine foliated work on it, in gold. Behind this, one can see a lush flower bed with various flowers in bloom. The background is a pale jade colour and the deep blue sky shows thick rolling clouds. The detailing in this painting is magnificent with perfect use of colours and copious use of gold. The inscription says that the painting was done in Jaipur. Going by the name and the period it should be the portrait of Maharaja Sardar Singh of Bikaner who was born in 1818 and died in 1872 A.D.

Lot 21 Details

Select Indian Antiquities & Collectibles. 18 Apr-1 May 2013

Bhakti Ratnavali ...

Folio 811 of Siddhanta Bodh...

View Dimensions This is a beautifully executed painting of the Mewar School, which flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries in the principality of Mewar in Rajasthan. The painting dwells on imparting of religious knowledge on the existence and greatness of Lord Brahma by a teacher, to his students.

He says, "Brahma is supreme that is why he is the Guru. Brahma is ultimate - He who understands this truth is wise and who does not is ignorant. Shastras also say the same and the Vedas also say he is the Ultimate." In the forefront the teacher is seen twice, with his four students. This repetition shows continuity of teaching. They are all bare-bodied, with neatly worn colourful dhotis and angavastras (stoles worn on the upper half of the body). Their hair is tied in buns and decorated with flowers. All of them wear gold necklaces with pearls. Their foreheads are smeared with sandal paste. There is an air of reverence for the master as the students listen intently.

In the upper half one can see a seated saint. His head is covered with a customary cap. He holds scriptures on the life of Shri Rama in his hand. A male, dressed similarly to the saint but without a cap, and a winged female entity sit before him. Two deities are shown within two glowing, golden nimbuses. The characters are all seen against a lavender grey background, giving prominence to all. The fine condition, delicate outlining and lovely usage of gold make this a striking work. Paintings from Mewar are known for their use of bright colours.