Painting, Balwant Singh watching mimics and musicians, by Nainsukh, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Punjab Hills (Pahari), Jammu or Jasrota, ca. 1750

Painting, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, figures on a plain, unpainted background. Raja Balwant Singh is seated on a throne on the left of the picture, under a canopy. He is smoking a huqqa and watching a group of performers on the right. In this group there is a dancer with musicians and mimics behind him. The picture is made up of two pieces of paper joined together. The join runs vertically on the left of the centre.

The raja is seated on a goldern throne with a black, red, white and green canopy, amid blue-black cushions. He wears a white floral-patterned jama and matching turban, with sarpech, his left hand rests on a cushion and in his right he holds the 'snake' of the huqqa which is placed before the throne. To the right of the picture, the boy dancer wears a bright pink costume, and performs with his right arm raised and bent at the elbow, and his left arm extended backwards to the group of eight musicians and singers who support him. The group forms an area of white, all the jamas except two being this colour, relieved by small areas of pinks, oranges, yellows and greens in turbans, patkas, instruments and one talwar in the foreground.

Raja Balwant Singh is seated on a throne on the left of the picture, under a canopy. He is smoking a huqqa and watching a group of performers on the right.

Formerly in the collection of Major General G. McAndrew, Superintendent of Chamba, 1872-1874.

This painting is by the renowned Pahari painter Nainsukh. Pahari is a style of painting particular to the Punjab Hills of northern India. This painting shows a local ruler, Balwant Singh, watching performers. Balwant Singh (1724-1763) was from the 1740s until his death the patron of Nainsukh, who painted many portraits of him engaged in a variety of courtly activities. In the centre is a young male dancer mimicking the actions of female dancers. Behind him is a group of musicians and singers. One holds a paper scroll in playful imitation of the Raja smoking a water pipe. Two sheets of paper have been joined together to make the picture.

IS.24-1974