- 326
North India, Rajasthan, Kota
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
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Description
- A Large Caparisoned Elephant
- 63.2 by 84cm., 24 7/8 by 33 1/16 in.
opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, framed
Condition
In good condition, the paper with minor tears mainly along the bottom edge, stains and creases, residue of writing throughout, 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
Stand alone portraits of elephants were initially depicted by the Mughals from the seventeenth century onwards. A number of named elephant portraits are in the Hodgkin collection (see ibid. nos.20-25).
This late lively painting of a running elephant is executed in the same vein as Kotah elephant paintings of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The elephant is shown caparisoned with a brightly coloured saddlecloth, secured by trappings and bells that were not only decorative but were used "to warn passers-by and give them time to get out of the way; for when an elephant runs, or merely walks, he does not stop like a horse would." (Topsfield 2012, p.64). The elephant in the current lot is shown in his mast ('drunken, intoxicated') season, indicated by a thick dark discharge secreting from his crescent-shaped temporal gland. Depictions of elephants in their mast condition became a favoured subject of the Kotah artist as it represented the elephant at the peak of their strength. (ibid. pp.194-196). The heavily shaded contours and dynamic linear swirls around the eyes are indebted to the seventeenth century "Master of the Elephants", originally identified by Welch and reappraised by Beach (See Beach 2011, p.477).
This late lively painting of a running elephant is executed in the same vein as Kotah elephant paintings of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The elephant is shown caparisoned with a brightly coloured saddlecloth, secured by trappings and bells that were not only decorative but were used "to warn passers-by and give them time to get out of the way; for when an elephant runs, or merely walks, he does not stop like a horse would." (Topsfield 2012, p.64). The elephant in the current lot is shown in his mast ('drunken, intoxicated') season, indicated by a thick dark discharge secreting from his crescent-shaped temporal gland. Depictions of elephants in their mast condition became a favoured subject of the Kotah artist as it represented the elephant at the peak of their strength. (ibid. pp.194-196). The heavily shaded contours and dynamic linear swirls around the eyes are indebted to the seventeenth century "Master of the Elephants", originally identified by Welch and reappraised by Beach (See Beach 2011, p.477).