Painting, Small Clive Album p. 84, white blossoms and a butterfly, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, possibly Avadh, first half 18th century

Painting in opaque watercolour on paper, gold on borders, part of a twig with a cluster of serrated leaves and two blossoms and a bud in a stylised manner, possibly representing blooms from a flowering cherry tree. The upper part of the painting shows a stylised depiction of a moth or a butterfly in pale yellow with red and black spots on its wings. The images are painted on a plain ivory-coloured ground and framed with a strips of buff-coloured paper with a black inner outline and a gold line on its outer edge with two narrow black ruled lines on the plain ivory-coloured ground of the main border. Lighter buff-coloured strips of paper with a double row of black ruled outlines are attached to the margins of the page which also has a strip of beige-coloured woven textile added on the inner side acting a gutter for the binding of the album.

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 56 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.

possibly made in Avadh

This study of a flowering plant and a hovering butterfly 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.48:42/B-1956