Nautch Party thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Nautch Party

Painting
ca. 1830 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Nautch-party: Social entertainment with three women, two dancing and one keeping time by hand-clapping, followed by five men - two playing sarangis, one with hand-cymbals, one with a mridanga, one with a tambura - followed by two more women, one young, one older, the latter wearing a Kashmir shawl and a red, yellow and green mashroo skirt. From a volume containing thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and procession scenes.
One of a volume of thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and procession scenes.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleNautch Party (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour and gouache on paper
Brief description
Painting; gouache and watercolour, of a Nautch-party, social entertainment with dancing girls, Tanjore, ca. 1830
Physical description
Nautch-party: Social entertainment with three women, two dancing and one keeping time by hand-clapping, followed by five men - two playing sarangis, one with hand-cymbals, one with a mridanga, one with a tambura - followed by two more women, one young, one older, the latter wearing a Kashmir shawl and a red, yellow and green mashroo skirt. From a volume containing thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and procession scenes.
One of a volume of thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and procession scenes.
Dimensions
  • Height: 39.5cm
  • Width: 58.5cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'Hindoostany Natch' (English; pencil)
Gallery label
  • A NAUTCH PARTY Watercolour on paper, inscribed in pencil ‘Hindoostany Natch’ Tanjore (Thanjavur), Tamil Nadu c. 1830 IS.39:24-1987 The word ‘nautch’ derives from the Hindi nach, meaning a dance or staged entertainment. Here three women, two of them dancing and one keeping time by hand-clapping, are followed by five men. Two play sarangis, one has finger cymbals, one beats a mridanga drum, and one plucks a tambura drone instrument. The painting is one of a volume of thirty folios mainly depicting castes and occupations.(01/08/2017)
  • A NAUTCH PARTY Watercolour on paper Thanjavur (Tanjore) c. 1830 IS.39:24-1987 The word ‘nautch’ derives from Hindi nach, meaning a dance or any kind of staged entertainment. Here three women, two of them dancing and one keeping time by hand-clapping, are followed by five men, two playing sarangis, one with finger cymbals, one with a mridanga, and one with a tambura. At the rear are two women, the older one wearing a Kashmir shawl and a red, yellow and green mashru skirt. (11/09/1997)
Object history
From a volume containing thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and processions. Bought from Mr. G. Goolden who had it from his late cousin Richard Goolden. RP 87/672
Subjects depicted
Bibliographic references
  • Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992, 59 - 65 p. ISBN 0944142303
  • Indian ikat textiles / Rosemary Crill. London: V&A Publications, 1998 Number: 1851772421 p.120, pl. 102
Collection
Accession number
IS.39:24-1987

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Record createdJanuary 25, 2000
Record URL
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