Nautch party
Painting
ca. 1830 (painted)
ca. 1830 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India are called Company paintings. This one comes from a volume containing 30 folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and processional scenes. It shows a nautch party (from Hindi 'nach', dance), with a dancer-girl followed by six male musicians and three other members of the party. The men are playing hand-cymbals, a European violin, a flute, a mridanga (drum) and a bagpipe.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Nautch party (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour and gouache on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, gouache and watercolour, from an album of 30 Company paintings depicting a group of dancers and musicians, Tanjore, ca. 1830 |
| Physical description | Nautch party; a dancing girl followed by six male musicians and three other members of the party. The men are playing hand cymbals, a violin, a flute, a meridanga and a bag pipe. The dancing girl and musicians are dressed mainly in white. The violin was introduced from the Fort St George band by the brother of Murtusvari Diksikar, composer (1775-1835). One of a volume of thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and procession scenes. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed in English: Tanjoor Natch |
| Object history | From a volume containing thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and processions. Bought from Mr. G. Goolden who had it from his late cousin Richard Goolden. RP 87/672 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India are called Company paintings. This one comes from a volume containing 30 folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and processional scenes. It shows a nautch party (from Hindi 'nach', dance), with a dancer-girl followed by six male musicians and three other members of the party. The men are playing hand-cymbals, a European violin, a flute, a mridanga (drum) and a bagpipe. |
| Bibliographic reference | Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period
Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992, 59 - 65 p. ISBN 0944142303 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.39:25-1987 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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