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Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

mid to late 17th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The central painting, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, shows a standing lady in profile facing right holding a flower in her left hand. She is standing on a narrow band of green grass among a line of pink-flowered plants which stand up against the pale green ground of the portrait which rises up to a dark blue band of sky and clouds. The sky has been added later and is mostly painted on an additional piece of paper, four centimetres deep. It is painted in a rough manner spilling over onto the frame of the painting in contrast to the fine and delicate painting of the rest of the picture.

The lady is wearing a transparent peshwaz edged in a gold binding with a gold edged paned skirt. The bodice has a deep 'V' opening at the neck with a row of pink- tipped lappets with patterned decoration of green spots above pink motifs. Her head and upper body is covered with a diaphanous gold-edged odhani minutely decorated with clusters of red and green spots through which her breasts are apparent. Her lower body is clothed in deep orange paijama with a gold polka dot trefoil motif and two rows of pearls at her ankles and a green waistband. The open centre of the peshwaz reveals a golden patka decorated in stylised pink floral patterns which falls to the hem of the overdress. She also wears a pair of purple slippers picked out in white. She is richly bejewelled with pearls and a red gemstone on her forehead, a pearl and green drop gemstone earring, a triple row of pearls at her throat with green and red gems and a further necklace of a pearl drop below an oval pendant on a fine chain. A long pearl necklace falls between her breasts, and more rows of pearls adorn her wrists. A jewelled gold bracelet with gemstones is seen on her right arm which is also adorned with a pearl and red gemstone bazuband round her forearm. Her long hair is scraped back over her head and can be seen tumbling down her back under the odhani. She is holding a flower with three blooms which may be a narcissus in her left hand which has a thumb ring and another ring visible on her index finger.

The painting has an inner framing border of strips of dark blue paper decorated in gold with a scrolling stylised floral pattern similar to that of the painting on IS.48:29/B-1956, outlined in white with a further line in gold and two black outlines and an outer one in dark blue on the main border. Over this has been laid strips of pinkish paper concealing the edge of the central painting and the gold-decorated framing border. The extended background paint has been smudged over this plain strip of paper. The outer main border has an ivory-coloured ground and is decorated with a row of alternate red poppies and deep pink lilies. The outer margins of the border are painted in an orangey-red colour, overlaying a beige coloured band with a white inner outline. A beige strip of paper on the inner edge has been applied as a gutter for the binding.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Brief description
Painting, Small Clive Album p. 62, a lady holding a flower, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, mid to late 17th century
Physical description
The central painting, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, shows a standing lady in profile facing right holding a flower in her left hand. She is standing on a narrow band of green grass among a line of pink-flowered plants which stand up against the pale green ground of the portrait which rises up to a dark blue band of sky and clouds. The sky has been added later and is mostly painted on an additional piece of paper, four centimetres deep. It is painted in a rough manner spilling over onto the frame of the painting in contrast to the fine and delicate painting of the rest of the picture.

The lady is wearing a transparent peshwaz edged in a gold binding with a gold edged paned skirt. The bodice has a deep 'V' opening at the neck with a row of pink- tipped lappets with patterned decoration of green spots above pink motifs. Her head and upper body is covered with a diaphanous gold-edged odhani minutely decorated with clusters of red and green spots through which her breasts are apparent. Her lower body is clothed in deep orange paijama with a gold polka dot trefoil motif and two rows of pearls at her ankles and a green waistband. The open centre of the peshwaz reveals a golden patka decorated in stylised pink floral patterns which falls to the hem of the overdress. She also wears a pair of purple slippers picked out in white. She is richly bejewelled with pearls and a red gemstone on her forehead, a pearl and green drop gemstone earring, a triple row of pearls at her throat with green and red gems and a further necklace of a pearl drop below an oval pendant on a fine chain. A long pearl necklace falls between her breasts, and more rows of pearls adorn her wrists. A jewelled gold bracelet with gemstones is seen on her right arm which is also adorned with a pearl and red gemstone bazuband round her forearm. Her long hair is scraped back over her head and can be seen tumbling down her back under the odhani. She is holding a flower with three blooms which may be a narcissus in her left hand which has a thumb ring and another ring visible on her index finger.

The painting has an inner framing border of strips of dark blue paper decorated in gold with a scrolling stylised floral pattern similar to that of the painting on IS.48:29/B-1956, outlined in white with a further line in gold and two black outlines and an outer one in dark blue on the main border. Over this has been laid strips of pinkish paper concealing the edge of the central painting and the gold-decorated framing border. The extended background paint has been smudged over this plain strip of paper. The outer main border has an ivory-coloured ground and is decorated with a row of alternate red poppies and deep pink lilies. The outer margins of the border are painted in an orangey-red colour, overlaying a beige coloured band with a white inner outline. A beige strip of paper on the inner edge has been applied as a gutter for the binding.
Dimensions
  • Visible original central painting height: 15.2cm
  • Extended central painting height: 19.6cm
  • Central painting width: 9.2cm
  • Page height: 35.5cm
  • Page width: 23.5cm
Style
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 which may have been cut from lengths brought back from India by 2nd Lord Clive who served as Governor of Madras, 1799 to 1803. The album was sold from Powis Castle at Sotheby's sale, 16 to 18 January 1956, lot 332A.
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
IS.48:31/B-1956

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Record createdDecember 11, 2003
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