Painting thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

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

This idealised portrait of a lady, surrounded by multiple layers of decorative mount, would have been a page in an album rather than viewed as a single painting. Images of beautiful women were frequently used as double-page spreads in albums, often alternating with pages of calligraphy.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Brief description
Painting, lady with a huqqa pipe, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, probably Lucknow, ca. 1750
Physical description
Painting, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, an elegant lady is shown at a balcony hung with rich textiles. She is adorned with jewels, and holds the stem of a huqqa.
Dimensions
  • Height: 24.5cm
  • Width: 18.5cm
Content description
An elegant lady is shown at a balcony hung with rich textiles. She is adorned with jewels, and holds the stem of a huqqa.
Styles
Credit line
Purchased from the London-based dealer Mirza Ysuff Khan, 1 Coptic Street, Bloomsbury, WC
Subjects depicted
Summary
This idealised portrait of a lady, surrounded by multiple layers of decorative mount, would have been a page in an album rather than viewed as a single painting. Images of beautiful women were frequently used as double-page spreads in albums, often alternating with pages of calligraphy.
Bibliographic reference
Swallow, D., Stronge, S., Crill, R., Koezuka, T., editor and translator, "The Art of the Indian Courts. Miniature Painting and Decorative Arts", Victoria & Albert Museum and NHK Kinki Media Plan, 1993. p. 146, cat. no. 130
Collection
Accession number
IM.122-1911

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest