Page 102 - Indian, Himalaya and Asian Art Bonhams Setp 2015

96
A FOLIO FROM THE EARLIEST KSHEMAKARNA RAGAMALA: FOLIO 47, GURJARI
RAGINI OF RAGA DIPAK
Popular Mughal, circa 1610
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper; two heroines converse on a couch attended by
chauri bearers and an audience seated on a carpet to the right.
Image: 5 1/4 x 8 1/8 in. (13.4 x 20.7 cm); Folio: 8 5/8 x 11 3/4 in. (21.9 x 30 cm)
$10,000 - 15,000

Out with bimba fruit red lips, with wrist rings of ivory, gold rings on the ear, a red translucent
exquisite bodice, beaded chains on the chest; as Saurashtra language, Dakshini and Dravadini
it is, ‘oh ha!’, the leading and most heavenly dressed Gurjari fourfold by the wise Maharajikas
familiar. Gurjari, the Dipaka fourth Ragini.

Previously attributed to the Deccan, this ragamala series is now thought to be popular Mughal.
It appears to be the earliest surviving example of Kshemakarna’s text. For an illustrated article
on this set, see Bautze, “Iconographic Remarks on Some Folios of the oldest Illustrated
Kshemakarna Ragamala”, Exploration in the History of South Asia: Essays in Honour of
Dietmar Rothermund, New Delhi, 1999, pp. 155-62.

Another page from this series is held in the Cleveland Museum of Art (2001.112). Two are held in
the Claudio Moscatelli Collection, (Glynn et al., Ragamala, London, 2011, pp. 66-9, nos. 14 & 15;
and Aitken, “The Laud Ragamala Album, Bikaner, and the Sociability of Sub-imperial Painting”,
Archives Asian Art, Vol. 63, No.1, 2013, p. 44). Others from the series sold at Christie’s, New
York, 31 March 2005, lot 226 and Bonhams, New York, 17 March 2014, lot 104.

Published
Ludwig Habighorst, Moghul Ragamala, Ragaputra Edition, Koblenz, 2006, p. 91, folio 47.

Provenance
Private Collection, Germany

97
A FOLIO FROM THE EARLIEST KSHEMAKARNA RAGAMALA: FOLIO 70, KALYANA
PUTRA OF RAGA SHRI
Popular Mughal, circa 1610
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper; the enthroned ruler entertained by maidens by a
bedchamber.
Image: 4 3/4 x 7 5/8 in. (12.1 x 19.4 cm); Folio: 8 1/2 x 11 5/8 in. (21.6 x 29.6 cm)
$10,000 - 15,000

Inlaid with beads, jewels, gold and diamond throne with a magnificent umbrella over his head,
attended by servants with waving Yak tail, with a betel preparation in the mouth, with fragrant
body with beads around his neck, holding a lotus while entertained. Kalyana kings prosperity of
Sri Raga seventh son.

For further discussion on this series, see the previous lot.

Published
Ludwig Habighorst, Moghul Ragamala, Ragaputra Edition, Koblenz, 2006, p. 104, folio 70.

Provenance
Private Collection, Germany

100 | BONHAMS