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Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

early 18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, two ladies are seen lounging on a bed under a white canopy propped up by bolsters with the principal one in front being proffered a cup of wine by the other lady, who holds a blue and white flask bearing the design of a seated horseman, while a female attendant massages one of her feet. Two seated females sing and play a drum in the foreground. Another attendant stands behind the bed-head holding a peacock-feathered morchal above her head. A turbaned figure in female costume is seen behind the bed holding out a small golden dish in one hand while carrying a ceramic blue and white wine flask, decorated with a man on horseback, in the other hand. Another female attendant stands behind carrying a crimson and gold-fringed tray with a domed lid. There are two gold vessels and a golden object in the form of a goose also resting on the carpet. The golden legs of the bed match the headboard with their red floral and jewelled ornamentation.
The principal lady wears a transparent, long-sleeved peshwaz (overdress) with a gold paned skirt under a high waist, above which there are double rows of pink-edged white lappets round the neck opening. She wears an orange paijama (trousers) with gold dotted and floral motifs and a golden patka ornamented with bands of pink, blue and pale orange flowers. Over her head and hanging down over her shoulders on either side she has a gauzy yellow, patterned dupatta (scarf) edged in gold. She is richly jewelled with three rows of pearls and a spinel and pearl on a slender chain round her neck, with an additional double row of pearls across her body. She also has pearl earrings, pearl bracelets and pearl anklets above which are gold bands studded with red and green gems. Scattered by her side on the gold bed cover, which is sprigged with red and pink flowers, are a number of pink rose blossoms which can also be seen in the little leaf basket beside them.
The lady by her side is differently dressed in a short white gauze choli with a leaf design and green inset at her cleavage, which is narrowly edged in red. Over her head she wears a transparent gold-edged odhini, which also covers her upper body and is wrapped round her legs as she sits in a crossed-leg position. Underneath this she is wearing either yellow paijama or a gaghra (skirt) sprigged with gold flowers gathered into a green frill at her waist. A white patka patterned in gold with two black and gold tassels at the top is tucked into her waist. She wears jewelled bazubands (armlets) and cuff bracelets over two rows of pearls. She has two rows of pearl necklaces at her throat with a pearl and crimson gemmed pendant and two further rows of pearls which reach her midriff.. She, like her companion, has elaborate pearl and gem-set earrings and an additional jewelled pearl pendant on her forehead.
A white canopy is supported over the group of figures on slender gold uprights resting on a crimson carpet with a scrolling floral design and a green border set on a platform reached by a flight of three steps between beds of red flowers. A row of further flowers can be seen beyond the top edge of the carpet leading onto a green ground rising to a curved horizon. The sky above is enlivened with fluffy clouds outlined in gold.
The inner border is of a pinkish-buff colour decorated with a foliated scroll in gold. It has ruled white lines on either side and is further embellished with a gold line, two black ruled lines and an outermost blue line on the main ivory-coloured border. This is decorated with a band of alternate red poppies and pink lilies on leafy stems outlined in gold in a smaller format than most other pages in the album which carry similar borders, as the central painting is rather larger than the others. The margins of the page have narrow strips of blue-green paper with a white inner line pasted over a red margin which is visible where the paper strips have degraded or failed to cover completely the underlying red margin. An additional grey-green strip of paper has been attached to the inner margin as a gusset for the page.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Brief description
Painting, Small Clive Album p. 82, ladies on a terrace under a canopy, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, early 18th century
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, two ladies are seen lounging on a bed under a white canopy propped up by bolsters with the principal one in front being proffered a cup of wine by the other lady, who holds a blue and white flask bearing the design of a seated horseman, while a female attendant massages one of her feet. Two seated females sing and play a drum in the foreground. Another attendant stands behind the bed-head holding a peacock-feathered morchal above her head. A turbaned figure in female costume is seen behind the bed holding out a small golden dish in one hand while carrying a ceramic blue and white wine flask, decorated with a man on horseback, in the other hand. Another female attendant stands behind carrying a crimson and gold-fringed tray with a domed lid. There are two gold vessels and a golden object in the form of a goose also resting on the carpet. The golden legs of the bed match the headboard with their red floral and jewelled ornamentation.
The principal lady wears a transparent, long-sleeved peshwaz (overdress) with a gold paned skirt under a high waist, above which there are double rows of pink-edged white lappets round the neck opening. She wears an orange paijama (trousers) with gold dotted and floral motifs and a golden patka ornamented with bands of pink, blue and pale orange flowers. Over her head and hanging down over her shoulders on either side she has a gauzy yellow, patterned dupatta (scarf) edged in gold. She is richly jewelled with three rows of pearls and a spinel and pearl on a slender chain round her neck, with an additional double row of pearls across her body. She also has pearl earrings, pearl bracelets and pearl anklets above which are gold bands studded with red and green gems. Scattered by her side on the gold bed cover, which is sprigged with red and pink flowers, are a number of pink rose blossoms which can also be seen in the little leaf basket beside them.
The lady by her side is differently dressed in a short white gauze choli with a leaf design and green inset at her cleavage, which is narrowly edged in red. Over her head she wears a transparent gold-edged odhini, which also covers her upper body and is wrapped round her legs as she sits in a crossed-leg position. Underneath this she is wearing either yellow paijama or a gaghra (skirt) sprigged with gold flowers gathered into a green frill at her waist. A white patka patterned in gold with two black and gold tassels at the top is tucked into her waist. She wears jewelled bazubands (armlets) and cuff bracelets over two rows of pearls. She has two rows of pearl necklaces at her throat with a pearl and crimson gemmed pendant and two further rows of pearls which reach her midriff.. She, like her companion, has elaborate pearl and gem-set earrings and an additional jewelled pearl pendant on her forehead.
A white canopy is supported over the group of figures on slender gold uprights resting on a crimson carpet with a scrolling floral design and a green border set on a platform reached by a flight of three steps between beds of red flowers. A row of further flowers can be seen beyond the top edge of the carpet leading onto a green ground rising to a curved horizon. The sky above is enlivened with fluffy clouds outlined in gold.
The inner border is of a pinkish-buff colour decorated with a foliated scroll in gold. It has ruled white lines on either side and is further embellished with a gold line, two black ruled lines and an outermost blue line on the main ivory-coloured border. This is decorated with a band of alternate red poppies and pink lilies on leafy stems outlined in gold in a smaller format than most other pages in the album which carry similar borders, as the central painting is rather larger than the others. The margins of the page have narrow strips of blue-green paper with a white inner line pasted over a red margin which is visible where the paper strips have degraded or failed to cover completely the underlying red margin. An additional grey-green strip of paper has been attached to the inner margin as a gusset for the page.
Dimensions
  • Central painting height: 25.9cm
  • Central painting width: 14.6cm
  • Page height: 35.5cm
  • Page width: 23.5cm
Style
Credit line
Gift of Mr. John Goelet
Object history
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.
Production
.
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
IS.48:41/B-1956

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Record createdJanuary 15, 2004
Record URL
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