MAHARAJA MAN SINGH ACCEPTS A CUP FROM HIS CONSORT

Maharaja Man Singh of Jodhpur (r.1803-1843) sits on a green and gold carpet, on a marbled terrace, in front of a small hexagonal-roofed pavilion overlooking the river.  His consort seated beside him demurely holding her veil.  A handmaiden offers a small cup containing an intoxicating liquor poured from a golden flask.

Good and stable overall condition. Slight abrasions to upper and lower margins of blue folio border visible in catalog illustration. Some rubbing to pigments along blue sky above and white brick wall below. Some abrasions to blue pigments on the open fan held by a lady on the far right visible in catalog illustration and some abrasions to golden border of the sari of the lady in the lower middle also seen in catalog illustration.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Maharaja Man Singh of Jodhpur (r.1803-1843) sits on a green and gold carpet, on a marbled terrace, in front of a small hexagonal-roofed pavilion overlooking the river.  His consort seated beside him demurely holding her veil.  A handmaiden offers a small cup containing an intoxicating liquor poured from a golden flask.

Maidens stand holding gold vessels and flasks, one holding a chowrie (flywhisk) and another a round black shield.  Two horses and a royal elephant wait below.  In the middle distance a silver river with boats and swans.  In the farther distance a rishi (holy man) meditates by a small Vaishnavite temple as troops ceremoniously perform a bull sacrifice.

In the present work the black ink devanagari inscription - added by a later hand - does mention "Ajit Singh."   Nonetheless the Maharaja in our painting clearly appears to be Man Singh. Marwar paintings from this period do strongly cast their subjects as idealized portrait types - often making identification of specific individuals complicated. 

For a discussion of Jodhpur painting during the reign of Raja Man Singh refer to Rosemary Crill, Marwar Painting: A History of Jodhpur Style, Bombay, 1999, pp. 145-151.