A page from the Polier Album: a view of Dal Lake and Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar, Lucknow, circa 1780, with calligraphy on reverse signed by Hafiz Nurallah and Muhammad 'Ali, dated 1195 AH/1780 AD

gouache heightened with gold on paper, laid down on an album page with inner blue borders filled with gold and silver scrolling flowers, wide outer margins decorated with red leafy flowers, silver-flecked cartouche with Persian inscription in lower margin, reverse with corresponding margins, enclosing 3 panels of bold nasta'liq calligraphy ruled with blue borders and 4 panels with red flowers

Antoine Louis Henri Polier, India, 2nd half 18th century
Probably gifted from Polier to Lady Jane Coote, wife of Sir Eyre Coote (d.1783)

In very good overall condition, colours bright, as viewed.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

inscriptions

Text beneath the image:  ‘Plan of Talab Dul (?) of Kashmir and [its] gardens’. On the reverse in the centre: a Persian quatrain signed by Muhammad ‘Ali and dated 1195 AH/1780 AD. The left side panel bears Persian verses copied by Hafiz Nurallah. The right-hand panel bears a Persian quatrain in praise of beautiful writing and is signed by Muhammad ‘Ali and dated 1195 AH/1780 AD.

The present painting depicts the same location as the previous lot, Shalimar Bagh, but shown from the opposite bank of Lake Dal, the site of the Hazratbal Shrine, Kashmir's holiest Muslim Shrine. In the centre of the composition is an island with a low structure flanked by two chinar trees. This is most likely Sona Lanka, one of the three islands on Dal Lake known for their chinar trees, which can reach a great size and age. For more on the above calligraphers and Shalimar Bagh, see catalogue note to previous two lots.