South Asia, India, Mughal Empire, ca. 19th Century CE. A finely painted depiction of an attractive Mughal princess against a sky blue background. The artist presents the fair lady in a diaphanous silk dress that tastefully reveals her voluptuous torso, with a sweet bluebird perched upon her left thumb, perhaps singing between her near-perfectly round breasts. The princess is also bedecked in an elaborate royal jewelry ensemble comprised of a five-strand beaded necklace, earrings, armbands, bracelets, as well as a grand diadem - all meticulously delineated with round beads (perhaps pearls) and gemstones of saturated red and blue hues which make for a lovely contrast with her alabaster white complexion. Her facial expression is serene with almond-shaped eyes, arched brows, a naturalistic nose, and heart-shaped pink lips - this beautiful visage framed by a long black, centrally parted coiffure. Finely painted on paper (either Bansaha from crushed bamboo, Tatha from jute, or Tulat from cotton) and matted in silk, under glass in a gilded frame. Size: 19.5" L x 13.5" W (49.5 cm x 34.3 cm); 28" L x 22" W (71.1 cm x 55.9 cm)

Mughal painting refers to a type of miniature painting - either serving as book illustrations or created as single work. The term miniature suggests a tiny scale; however, it actually indicates a style of watercolor work similar to early European book illustrations that used the red pigment minia. Some Indian miniatures are in fact quite large. The Mughal style stems from Persian miniature painting, though with Indian Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist influences, evolving largely throughout the Mughal Empire (16th to 19th centuries), and eventually spreading to other Indian courts - Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh - flourishing during the reigns of Akbar, Shah Jahan, and Jahangir. The tradition continues today with Mughal-style miniature paintings still being created, though only by a relatively small number of artists in Rajasthan.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Butterfield's auction

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#123620

Overall excellent save minor surface wear.