Raja Indra Dev of Bandralta seated smoking a hookah, with an attendant holding a morchal, Bandralta, circa 1730-40

gouache heightened with gold and silver on paper, inscribed on the verso in takri script

Sotheby’s, London, 7 December 1977, lot 183
Sotheby’s, London, 15 October 1997, lot 75

In reasonably good overall condition, loss to upper right corner, some abrasions to leaf edges, slightly rubbed, 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 portrait is a rare example of the Bandralta School, showing Raja Indra Dev (r. circa 1730-60) seated on a carpet smoking a hookah, with an attendant behind holding a morchal. It is extremely close in style, facial features and the carpet, hookah and attendant, to several other portraits of this raja dating from circa 1730 to circa 1750: two in the Chandigarh Museum (see Archer 1973, vol.2, p.12, nos.1-2), one in Chhatrapatī Shivaji Mahārāj Vastu Saṅgrahālay (CSMVS), Mumbai, formerly the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay (see Archer 1973, vol.2, p.13, no.4), one in the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Collection, Hyderabad (see Seyller and Mittal 2014, pp.148-9, no.54, where the attendant also holds a morchal) and one in the San Diego Museum of Art, Edwin Binney III Collection (see Archer 1973, vol.2, p.13, no.5, where, again, the attendant holds a morchal).

Raja Indra Dev ruled the small state of Bandralta, which borders Jammu, Basohli and Mankot, from about 1730 to 1760. The main town, formerly called Nagar, now known as Ramnagar, sits at an elevation of over 2,500 feet. The state was annexed by the Sikhs in 1822. The majority of the few surviving paintings that can be confidently attributed to Bandralta feature Raja Indra Dev (see Archer 1973, vol.1, pp.8-12, vol.2, pp.11-13).