Asavari Ragini
Painting
ca. 1700 - ca. 1710 (made)
ca. 1700 - ca. 1710 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The painting comes from a Ragamala or 'garland of ragas', a series of pictorial depictions of the various musical modes. An inscription in Takri, a script used in the Punjab Hills, identifies the mode illustrated here as Asavari Ragini, 'wife' of Megha Raga. In this series, the six major ragas are each ascribed five 'wives' - raginis - and eight 'sons', known as ragas or ragaputras. The paintings belonging to each major raga are united by common colours for their backgrounds and margins, and those associated with Megha Raga have yellow borders and chocolate or plum backgrounds. 32 paintings of this boldly-painted series are preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Asavari Ragini (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, asavari ragini, lady in grove, opaque watercolour on paper, Kulu or Bahu, ca. 1700-1710 |
| Physical description | Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, a lady sits on a stool, leaning against a cushion. Her left leg is massaged by a kneeling maid. Another maid stands on her left (proper) and fans her with a flywhisk. On either side are trees with creepers. Yellow border, chocolate background. There are inscriptions in Takri on the upper border and on the reverse. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | A lady sits on a stool, leaning against a cushion. Her left leg is massaged by a kneeling maid. Another maid stands on her left (proper) and fans her with a flywhisk. |
| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | From the Sir William Rothenstein collection (residuary). |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The painting comes from a Ragamala or 'garland of ragas', a series of pictorial depictions of the various musical modes. An inscription in Takri, a script used in the Punjab Hills, identifies the mode illustrated here as Asavari Ragini, 'wife' of Megha Raga. In this series, the six major ragas are each ascribed five 'wives' - raginis - and eight 'sons', known as ragas or ragaputras. The paintings belonging to each major raga are united by common colours for their backgrounds and margins, and those associated with Megha Raga have yellow borders and chocolate or plum backgrounds. 32 paintings of this boldly-painted series are preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum. |
| Bibliographic reference | Indian paintings from the Punjab Hills : a survey and history of Pahari miniature painting / by W. G. Archer ; foreword by Sherman E. Lee. London :Delhi: Sotheby Parke Bernet ;Oxford University Press, 1973 Number: 0856670022
pp.333-34, cat. no. 13 xxviii |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.16-1954 |
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| Record created | November 20, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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