Page 66 - Indian and Himalayan Art Mar 21, 2018 NYC

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF STAFFORD ELIAS
LOTS 331-336

The following four paintings come from a manuscript entitled Dvadasa Bhava that was ofered in
its entirety at Sotheby’s London in 1972. It is a Persian translation of a Sanskrit text whose title
translates as “Twelve Existences.” The associated 1972 catalogue entry, presumably by Toby
Falk, is very thorough. The note at that time confrmed that much of the narrative is focused on
Vikramanka who they suggested was the same as the Gupta king Chandragupta II (r. circa
380-415 AD) who gave himself the title Vikramanka on his coinage. He could also however be
the Western Chalukyan king Vikramaditya VI who also took the name Vikramanka, who reigned
over a massive territory from 1076-1126 and was the subject of a lengthy panegyric by Bilhana, the
author of the Chaurapancasika. The note also states that the original text was commissioned for
a prince named Mir Kanak. From the text on these four leaves Mir Kanak appears also to be one
of the main characters in the narrative, part of which is narrated directly by a narrator and part of
which describes the deeds of Mir Kanak, whose name is picked out in black-outlined gold script.
No trace has been found of the original Sanskrit work and there appears to be no other Persian
translation apart from the volume from which these paintings come.
Various scholars have studied the group of manuscripts that were produced for Prince Salim
in Allahabad. Among them are the Diwan of Amir Hassan Dihlawi dated 1602 (Walters Art
Gallery, Baltimore, MS.W.650), the Yog Vashisht of 1602 the Raj Kunwar of 1603-4. both in the
Chester Beatty Library (inv. nos. ms.5 and ms.37) and extensively published by Linda York Leach
(Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, London, 1995, vol.I, pp.147-
232) and an Anwar-i Suhaili of 1604-5 in the British Library (inv. no. Add.18579). Not only are the
manuscripts stylistically similar, especially the Raj Kunwar, but also the fact that the two Chester
Beatty manuscripts are each Persian translations of earlier Hindu works, very similar in tone to the
present manuscript, indicate a cohesive focus in this short-lived atelier.
At the time of the Sotheby’s sale the Dvadasa Bhava manuscript was complete with text,
illuminated shamsa signed by Muhammad Sadiq, illuminated heading, and thirteen miniatures.
There was no colophon. The illuminated folios and the miniatures had already been separated
from the text. The notes in Mr Elias’ catalogue state clearly that it was bought in partnership
with two other people and that the lot was then split into three groups, Mr Elias retaining the four
paintings that are now ofered as the following four lots. Three of the paintings have surfaced
since the sale: one was sold to Edwin Binney and is now in the San Diego Museum (Indian
Miniature Painting From the Collection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portland Art Museum, Portland, 1973,
p.71, no.44), one was sold at Christie’s New York, 17 September 1999, lot 275, and the third was
sold at Sotheby’s London 5 October 2011, lot 134.

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