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136
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Ⓛ Mollah instructing Indian princesses
North India, 19th cen…
See original version (French)
136
-
Ⓛ Mollah instructing Indian princesses
North India, 19th cen…
See original version (French)
Estimate €4,000 - €6,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Ⓛ Mollah instructing Indian princesses
North India, 19th century
Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, mounted as an album page.
On a paved terrace, a mullah with a large white turban sits in discussion with richly adorned young disciples. In the background, a wide expanse of water animated by a sailing ship leads towards mountainous shores planted with palm trees; in the upper left-hand corner, an ogee-shaped frame with a blue background and gilded scrolls reveals a view of Mecca with the Kaaba and the Masjid al-Haram.
On the recto, a quatrain in monumental nastaliq in black ink on a densely floral gilded background.
Folio 36 x 26.5 cm (14.2 x 10.4 in.); painting 17.3 x 11.9 cm (6.8 x 4.7 in.)
This miniature is a late copy of a composition by the Lucknow school dating from around 1780, a version of which was presented at Kent Antiques. Compared to the model, the copyist introduced a singular addition: the Red Sea and the Arabian shores leading to the Kaaba, transforming a static scene into an evocation of the pilgrimage and giving the meeting between the mullah and his disciples a spiritual dimension absent from the original composition.
A Mughal painting of a mullah in discussion with princesses on a terrace, with a view of Mecca, North India, 19th century, after a Lucknow composition of circa 1780
Location:
The work is currently stored in London; please contact the department for further information.
Notes:
British VAT of 20% will apply to this lot currently located in London. In case of export from UK, VAT on sale fees can be refunded upon presentation of customs documentation.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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