A fine pair of painted wooden window shutters, North West India, Kutch, Gujarat, Last Quarter of the 19th Century

comprising two wooden doors and stand, each painted in bright polychrome colours, the border containing a row of flowerhead motifs, each side divided into two panels, the front decorated with entwined couples (one of which features a man and two women), amongst a palatial garden scene above two rows with various coupled animals, including rams, tigers and cubs, and leopards, the reverse also with two panels featuring lush, floral bouquets emanating from vases, with three metal bars with hinges to the sides and hook and closing lock to front

German Collection 1950s/60s

In general good condition, colours bright, some areas with rubbing and minor chips to paint consistent with age and use, some possible subsequent restoration to paint, particularly red background, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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."

This pair of richly painted and colourful window shutters was once used to adorn one of the magnificent palaces in Kutch, a district of Gujarat, in Western India. Painted on both surfaces, each side is divided into two scenes, the front featuring lovers in varying embraces and the back images of songbirds among flowers emanating from vases. The couples are set within decorative frames composed of undulating arches and an array of overhead floral arrangements, predominantly composed of lotus flowers and roses against an amorous shade of red. Their embraces are at once supported and paralleled by the bands of paired animals underneath, including illustrations of a lion and cheetah with cubs playing in between.

A similar pair of wooden doors is illustrated in: B.N. Goswamy and A.L. Dallapiccola, A Place Apart: Painting in Kutch, 1720-1820, Delhi, 1983, no. XXVII.