- 266
A double-sided illustrated leaf: a prince hunting amid a rocky landscape, and verso with a prince at leisure by a stream, Mughal, circa 1590
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Gouache on paper highlighted with gold
gouache heightened with gold on paper, ruled in colours and gold, margins cropped
Condition
In very good overall condition, small diagonal tear to lower leaf edge, otherwise colours vivid, margins cropped, 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
The two beautifully-painted miniatures of the present leaf from an Akbar-period manuscript represent a genre that enjoyed a great deal of popularity in Mughal manuscript production: the hunt, and in this case the additional scene of outdoor leisure enjoyed by the hunter as dusk falls after a day's chase.
The hunt scene was produced at a prolific rate under both Akbar (r.1556-1605) and Jahangir (r.1605-27) and even by the 1590s a standard format had been established as it is seen here. The land slopes up towards the top right-hand corner of the painting, a town nestles amid the rocks and trees, and the hunters sweep across the middle ground chasing leaping deer, ibex and hare. The miniature may be formulaic but it is also full of vigour, and it provides an interesting glimpse into the techinique of hunting, demonstrating not only the weapons used - in this case bow and arrow - but also the animals employed on the side of the hunter. In this instance we see the prince's huntsmen loosing hounds into the attack as well as a cheetah, distinuishable as the pursuer rather than the pursued by the collar hanging around its neck. The cheetah was a formidable ally in hunting big game as it could out-run even the flightly ibex and gazelle (for two other illustrations of hunting cheetahs in the Johnson Album see Falk and Archer 1981, p.55/p.58 and p.366-7, nos.19 and 30). Whilst the sword is not visible in the painting of the hunt, the composition on the other side shows an attendant beneath the tree proffering the prince's red cloth-covered sword case (see Goswamy and Fischer 1987, cat.51, p.112 for a comparable example). A trained falcon can also be seen on this side of the leaf, adding to the menagerie of hunters.
These princely activities suggest, in the absence of any text, that their original purpose was to illustrate a Mughal historical text of the nature of the Baburnameh or Akbarnameh. The quality and style of these miniatures accords with Mughal work towards the end of the sixteenth century. Comparisons can be made with various manuscripts and groups of paintings painted in similar style, particularly the Ramayana of 1587-98 made for Akbar's military commander-in-chief Abd al-Rahim Khankhanan (Freer Gallery), the Razmnama of 1598 (British Library and dispersed), and the 'Manley' Ragamala of circa 1600 (British Museum).
The hunt scene was produced at a prolific rate under both Akbar (r.1556-1605) and Jahangir (r.1605-27) and even by the 1590s a standard format had been established as it is seen here. The land slopes up towards the top right-hand corner of the painting, a town nestles amid the rocks and trees, and the hunters sweep across the middle ground chasing leaping deer, ibex and hare. The miniature may be formulaic but it is also full of vigour, and it provides an interesting glimpse into the techinique of hunting, demonstrating not only the weapons used - in this case bow and arrow - but also the animals employed on the side of the hunter. In this instance we see the prince's huntsmen loosing hounds into the attack as well as a cheetah, distinuishable as the pursuer rather than the pursued by the collar hanging around its neck. The cheetah was a formidable ally in hunting big game as it could out-run even the flightly ibex and gazelle (for two other illustrations of hunting cheetahs in the Johnson Album see Falk and Archer 1981, p.55/p.58 and p.366-7, nos.19 and 30). Whilst the sword is not visible in the painting of the hunt, the composition on the other side shows an attendant beneath the tree proffering the prince's red cloth-covered sword case (see Goswamy and Fischer 1987, cat.51, p.112 for a comparable example). A trained falcon can also be seen on this side of the leaf, adding to the menagerie of hunters.
These princely activities suggest, in the absence of any text, that their original purpose was to illustrate a Mughal historical text of the nature of the Baburnameh or Akbarnameh. The quality and style of these miniatures accords with Mughal work towards the end of the sixteenth century. Comparisons can be made with various manuscripts and groups of paintings painted in similar style, particularly the Ramayana of 1587-98 made for Akbar's military commander-in-chief Abd al-Rahim Khankhanan (Freer Gallery), the Razmnama of 1598 (British Library and dispersed), and the 'Manley' Ragamala of circa 1600 (British Museum).