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Painting - Raja Hira Singh

Raja Hira Singh

  • Object:

    Painting

  • Place of origin:

    Punjab, Pakistan (made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1838-1840 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Opaque watercolour and gold on paper

  • Credit Line:

    Given by O. E. Dickinson

  • Museum number:

    IS.115-1953

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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Raja Hira Singh (1816-1844) was a close companion of the Sikh Maharaja of the Panjab, Ranjit Singh. He was introduced to the maharaja by his father, a member of the Hindu Dogra family, who was Ranjit Singh's prime minister, a position Hira Singh inherited after Ranjit Singh's death and held from 1843-44. Here he sits on a western-style chair with a male attendant on a terrace.

This painting was formerly in the collection of Lord Auckland (Governor-General of India 1836-42) and brought back by him to England in 1842. It was given to the museum in 1953 by Lord Auckland's great-nephew, O.E. Dickinson.

Physical description

Painting of Raja Hira Singh (1816-1844) seated on a chair beneath a canopy, with a Hindu attendant standing before him. Hira Singh is dressed in a slate blue turban, green shawl, white coat and orange trousers. He rests one foot on a stool. The terrace on which he sits has a dark green carpet edged with pink, patterned with floral motifs in white, red and green. His attendant is in white with a green turban.

Place of Origin

Punjab, Pakistan (made)

Date

ca. 1838-1840 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Opaque watercolour and gold on paper

Marks and inscriptions

"Rajah Heera Singh"
sri raj hira singhaji ki [devanagari script]

Dimensions

Height: 20.9 cm painting, Width: 14.3 cm painting, Height: 26.8 cm with borders, Width: 20.2 cm with borders

Object history note

Formerly in the collection of Lord Auckland (Governor-General of India 1836-42) and brought by him to England in 1842. Given to the museum by Auckland's great-nephew, O.E. Dickinson.

Descriptive line

Sikh painting of Raja Hira Singh (1816-1844), Punjab Plains, about 1838-1840.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

W. G. Archer, Paintings of the Sikhs, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1966, cat. 8, fig. 20.

Materials

Opaque watercolour

Techniques

Painting

Subjects depicted

Chairs; Nobleman; Canopies; Singh, Hira (Raja); Sikh

Categories

Paintings; Sikhism

Collection code

SSEA

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Qr_O79149
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