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PROPERTY FROM THE LANIER COLLECTION The painting’s softly naturalistic manner can be associated
with works from Guler. The family of Nainsukh originated
LEAPING CHARIOT HORSES there and later dispersed to other Hill courts like Chamba,
ATTRIBUTED TO NIKKA SON OF NAINSUKH seeking patronage. The wide yellow border at the left side is
India, Pahari, Chamba, circa 1775-80 very unusual in Pahari painting and suggests an originally large
format. The green saddlery and mauve chariot post the only
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper indications of the original subject - leaving our imagination free
image: 7½ by 7⅔ in. (17.7 by 17.8 cm) to ll in the missing section of this poetic fragment.
PROVENANCE Another fragment depicting Shiva, with very similar color
palette and yellow border, is in the Cleveland Museum of
Private collection from 1950’s Art (accession no. 60.48) previously in the Heeramaneck
Acquired 1988 Collection and is very similar to ours, see L. Y. Leach, Indian
Miniature Paintings and Drawings, Part I, Cleveland, 1986, g.
The four white horses of Krishna’s chariot Saibya, Sugriva, 120 & pl. XXIII. A painting in the British Museum (accession
Meghapushpa and Balahaka leaping forward in perfect unison no. 1955,1008.0.70) attributed to Nikka and another work
against a brilliant vermilion ground rising to curving hillocks depicting an episode from the Rukmini Harana (accession no.
and light blue sky. Likely originally from a large-format 1915.0217.0.6), are possibly from the same manuscript as
Bhagavata Purana series. ours, with very similar color palette and landscape.
A re ned and extremely lyrical fragment attributed to the artist $ 6,000-8,000
Nikka (1745-1833), the third son of the artist Nainsukh - active
during the reign of Raja Raj Singh of Chamba.
INDIAN, HIMALAYAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN WORKS OF ART 115
