Painting, Small Clive Album p. 65, a flowering plant, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, possibly Avadh, first half 18th century

The painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, is of a flowering plant with red and white flowers, buds and leaves on a branching stem which rises from the ground which is indicated by small tufts of grass. The plant is centred on the plain ivory-coloured ground of the paper. It is framed with plain strips of faded orange paper outlined with an inner gold line and ruled lines in green and red on the inner side and black lines on the outer on the ivory-coloured paper of the page. The page has strips of light grey paper at its outer margins with double lines in black. There is a strip of beige woven textile on the inner edge which acts as a gutter for the album binding. This has been pasted over the former beige-coloured paper gutter

Gift of Mr. John Goelet

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 62 leaves on which are Mughal miniature paintings, drawing and flower studies on both sides. The binding is covered with an Indian brocade silk that may have been cut from lengths brought home by the 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.

This study of a flowering plant is included in the "Small Clive Album", a volume of Indian paintings which is thought to have been given by Shuja ad-Daula, the Nawab of Avadh, to Lord Clive during his last visit to India in 1765-67. It contains 56 folios on which are Mughal paintings, drawings and flower studies dating to the 17th and 18th centuries. The binding is covered with an Indian brocade. The album was given to the museum by Mr John Goelet in 1956.

IS.48:33/A-1956