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Not currently on display at the V&A

a lady holding a blossom

Painting
ca. 1650 - ca. 1750 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, a lady is shown standing in profile facing left against a dark background. Her right hand is raised and she holds a small white blossom up to her face while the other hand is shown in an open position held up across her body. She wears a transparent, gauzy, full-length peshwaz with an embroidered placket round the neck and tight long sleeves and a golden binding along the hem.. It is painted in a blue colour where it is seen flaring out against the inky background of the picture. Under this she is wearing golden paijama decorated with a red and grey half-drop motif which match the colouring of her full-length grey patka with crimson floral decoration that is tucked into her paijama waistband in the middle of the front. Over her dark loose hair and falling away over her back and across her upper body with the ends dangling either side of her right arm is a transparent green odhani, decorated with circles of gold spots and edged with pearls. Her feet are shod in crimson slippers with golden decoration. Around her neck she wears a number of pearl chokers with two longer rows of pearls with a scattering of red gemstones which drop between her breasts. More ropes of pearls are worn as bracelets and her ear is studded with pearls and a large red gemstone drop. Her fingers and thumbs are ornamented with gold rings and her nails are picked out in red. Her features are finely modelled, and her flesh tones have a yellowish tinge to them.

She is standing on a small clump of grass surrounded by clumps of various different flowering plants shown against a dark ground which rises up behind her to the top of the painting where a series of golden streaks suggest a night sky.

The inner mount of the painting is a stylised foliated scroll in gold against a pinky-orange ground with paired rows of gold lines highlighted in black and white with an outer outline in blue. This is set on an ivory-coloured border with buff-coloured strips of paper with a white outline collaged onto the edges of the border. The border is decorated with a row of red poppies and pink lilies outlined in gold. A pale brown strip of paper has been added to the left hand side of the page to act as a gutter for the album binding.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titlea lady holding a blossom (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Brief description
Painting, Small Clive Album p. 47, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1650-1750
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, a lady is shown standing in profile facing left against a dark background. Her right hand is raised and she holds a small white blossom up to her face while the other hand is shown in an open position held up across her body. She wears a transparent, gauzy, full-length peshwaz with an embroidered placket round the neck and tight long sleeves and a golden binding along the hem.. It is painted in a blue colour where it is seen flaring out against the inky background of the picture. Under this she is wearing golden paijama decorated with a red and grey half-drop motif which match the colouring of her full-length grey patka with crimson floral decoration that is tucked into her paijama waistband in the middle of the front. Over her dark loose hair and falling away over her back and across her upper body with the ends dangling either side of her right arm is a transparent green odhani, decorated with circles of gold spots and edged with pearls. Her feet are shod in crimson slippers with golden decoration. Around her neck she wears a number of pearl chokers with two longer rows of pearls with a scattering of red gemstones which drop between her breasts. More ropes of pearls are worn as bracelets and her ear is studded with pearls and a large red gemstone drop. Her fingers and thumbs are ornamented with gold rings and her nails are picked out in red. Her features are finely modelled, and her flesh tones have a yellowish tinge to them.

She is standing on a small clump of grass surrounded by clumps of various different flowering plants shown against a dark ground which rises up behind her to the top of the painting where a series of golden streaks suggest a night sky.

The inner mount of the painting is a stylised foliated scroll in gold against a pinky-orange ground with paired rows of gold lines highlighted in black and white with an outer outline in blue. This is set on an ivory-coloured border with buff-coloured strips of paper with a white outline collaged onto the edges of the border. The border is decorated with a row of red poppies and pink lilies outlined in gold. A pale brown strip of paper has been added to the left hand side of the page to act as a gutter for the album binding.
Dimensions
  • Central painting height: 16.7cm
  • Central painting width: 8.4cm
  • Folio height: 35.5cm
  • Folio width: 23.5cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
The number '24' is pencilled in on the top right hand corner of the border
Credit line
Gift of Mr. John Goelet
Object history
This miniature painting is part of the Small Clive Album of Indian miniatures which is thought to have been given by Shuja ud-Daula, the Nawab of Avadh, to Lord Clive during his last visit to India in 1765-67. It contains 56 leaves on which are Mughal miniature paintings, drawing and flower studies on both sides. The binding is covered with an Indian brocade. The album was sold from Powis Castle at Sotheby's sale, 16-18 January 1956, lot 332A.
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
IS.48:24/A-1956

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Record createdNovember 27, 2003
Record URL
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