A good-natured pandemonium breaks loose in the Zenana during the festival of #Holi, the #Hindu Festival of Colours
A princess stands watching behind the crowd, identifiable by her red Halo
(I too would be doing the disappearing act!)
c1800 CE #IndianMiniaturePainting from #Rajasthan, #India (Property of Cleveland #Museum of #Art) sold by Sothebys (March 15, 2017)
3rd century grey schist of #Maitreya (Bodhisattva), from the ancient region of #Gandhara of #Pakistan #Afghanistan which combines #Greek, #Roman, #Scythian & #Iranian with #Indian artistic modes on upcoming Sothebys sale of March 20, estimate £180,000-300,000
Bodhisattva is the future & final #Buddha who is worshipped in many Asian #Buddhist cultures as a spiritual being on the path to enlightenment
'The lightning is restless as it flashes in the turbulent clouds.
The peacocks announce the mating of earth & sky with their shrill cries.
All lovers meet in the month of Shravana- so then why forsake me my love?'
So goes the footnote to this c1820 #Pahari #IndianMiniaturePainting from #Kangra #HimachalPradesh #India on Bonhams auction of 20 March 2025
Agony of a Dejected Lover
( #Hindu God Lord #Krishna)
c1780 #Pahari folio from Gita Govinda attributed to a 1st Generation Master after #Artist #Nainsukh from #Kangra or #Guler #HimachalPradesh #India on Sothebys upcoming sale on 20th March 2025
Estimate £300,000-500,000
Composition based on #Raga Gujjari #Ragamala (Garland of Melodies)
An #IndianMiniaturePainting so beautiful that it is someone's screen saver!
(It IS the famous #ArtHistory specialist William Dalrymple's)
#Hindu God Lord #Shiva tests His Archery Skills while riding the Nandi Bull
This astounding c1825 AD #Pahari #Painting from #Guler or #Chamba #HimachalPradesh #India is now at Indian #Museum #Kolkata
#IndianHeritage #Art #IndianHistory #Religion #Hinduism #Himalayas #History #MastoArt #Histodons #Heritage #IndianMythology #Punjab Hill State #ArtOfTheDay
The Manifestation of Sadashiva
c1820 #Pahari #IndianMiniaturePainting from #Kangra now at Bhuri Singh Museum #Chamba #HimachalPradesh
The inscriptions identify the Heads of #Hindu Lord #Shiva as (l to r): Ishana, Tattvapurush, Sadyojata, Anghora & Vamadev of which Vamadev is more widely known worldwide as associated with Kama Sutra
Today is #Shivratri, His Wedding with Parvati
#HappyValentinesDay #HappyValentines
Two Lovers meet in this c1800 CE #Rajput #IndianMiniaturePainting from #Jaipur #Rajasthan from the #EdwinBinney collection now housed at San Diego Museum of Art, USA
Lord #Krishna in Combat with Lord Indra
c1590 #IndianMiniaturePainting from the atelier of #Mughal ruler #Akbar now on display at Victoria and Albert #Museum exhibition: "The Great #Mughals: Arts Architecture & Opulence" till 5th May 2025
Inspired by European #Art, this painting of a dramatic combat is from a dispersed 'Harivamsa'
Here in #London today.
Listening to William Dalrymple's Empire Podcast: 'Zebras & Zodiacs: #Jahangir & #Mughal Art Revolution'
& Visiting Victoria & Albert #Museum exhibition 'The Great Mughals: #Art Architecture and Opulence' to view this c1620 CE #IndianMiniaturePainting by artist #UstadMansur of a Zebra presented to Jahangir by Mir Jafar who acquired this from the Turkish traders visiting #India
'Mythical Beasts with #Elephants'.
c1610 CE #IndianMiniaturePainting in #NimQalam (Pen Drawing Art style where elements are supplemented by pale colours) from #Mughal ruler #Jahangir's atelier at #Agra now on view at Victoria and Albert #Museum #London exhibition: "The Great #Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence" till 5th May.
An exhibition on the extraordinary creative output of the Golden Age of the #Mughal Court from the reigns of #Akbar #Jahangir & #ShahJahan (1556-1605 AD) is on at Victoria & Albert #Museum #London till May5, 2025
One of the items on display here is this c1600 CE #IndianMiniaturePainting of a 'Portrait of a European' from #Agra #India
Wishing everyone a very Happy and Prosperous Diwali
With the end of the Battle of #Delhi & capture (on 20th Sept) of the last #Mughal ruler #BahadurShahZafar the #MughalEmpire surrenders to the #EastIndiaCompany on this day in 1857
The two sons of the emperor are shot dead by Major William Stephen Raikes Hodson of the Company's Bengal Army on 21st Sept 1857 at Delhi Gate
This last Mughal Crown taken as a war trophy is now at British Museum
A lovely c1745 CE #IndianMiniaturePainting from #Jodhpur #Marwar #Rajasthan of 'The Durbar of Kunwar Ram Singh' now at Williams College #Museum of #Art, USA
The Kunwar, holding a flower, sits in the centre with courtiers arranged seated around him according to their hierarchy and level of importance!
#ArtHistory #IndianHistory #IndianHeritage #India #Museums #History #Heritage #Painting #artoftheday #MastoArt #Histodons #Painting #Entertainment
Unknown #Artist
The Holy Family
#Hindu God Lord #Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailash with infant #Ganesha on #GaneshChaturthi (Birth of Lord Ganesha)
The Nandi Bull stands behind them
c1800 CE #Pahari #IndianMiniaturePainting from #HimachalPradesh #India on Sothebys auction (17th March 2015)
A rare & monumental 2nd century #Kushan Schist of #Buddha from the ancient region of #Gandhara of #Afghanistan & #Pakistan
Inscribed in Khoroshti language as 'Gift of Kodisena' (translation) & hence known as the 'Kodisena Buddha' will be on Christie's Inc. online auction beginning 11th September with an estimate of US$ 200,000-300,000
Crowned #Bodhisattva
This 3rd century #KushanEmpire statue of a youthful #Buddha from #Mathura #UttarPradesh with curled lockets of hairs cascading to His shoulders, is amongst the most appealing images of this figure type from early India
Home just in time for the #Janmashtami2024 this 10th century #Chola era bronze idol of 'Kaliya Kalki' (Dancing #Krishna) stolen & smuggled out of #India by smuggler Subhash Kapoor & sold to (late) Douglas Latchford in 2005 for $650,000 has been recovered & returned by Thailand
After Latchford's death, his daughter gave his property to the Thai Government
#IndianHeritage #ArtHistory #IndianHistory #Religion #Hinduism #AncientIndia #Heritage #History #MastoArt #Histodons
#Hindu God #Festival
As #Delhi gets 'verdant foliage' after the #DelhiRains I am beset with overgrown grass in my garden
So, I have to call the 'Grass Cutter' and, here he is in this c1830 CE #CompanyPainting from the Balfour Album of 26 #Paintings from the studio of Shaykh Muhammad Amir of #Karraya #Bengal sold by Lyon & Turnbull for £ 112,700 on 21st June from the collection of Mildred Archer
