Page 118 - Indian and Himalayan Art, March 15, 2017 Sotheby's NYC

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314 PROPERTY FROM THE LANIER COLLECTION
116 SOTHEBY’S
PARVATI AND SHIVA SHARE THE
INTOXICATING DATURA FRUIT
India, Pahari, Guler, circa 1780’s

Ink with color on paper mounted on archival bu
paper
image: 9¾ by 10½ in. (22.8 by 25.4 cm)

PROVENANCE
Private collection from 1950’s
Acquired 1988
Shiva and Parvati exchange tender glances as
they exchange the small round datura nut. A
snake winds around his neck and long locks as
she demurely holds the edge of her veil. The only
other versions of the composition known are in
the Smithsonian Freer Museum/Sackler Gallery
(accession no. S1986.468) and another from the
Coomaraswamy Collection, illustrated in S. Lee,
Rajput Painting, New York, 1916, pl. LXIV. Our
present drawing likely pre-dates these given its
spontaneity and re nement.
An exceptionally rare Pahari drawing with
unusually large scale gures executed in a highly
con dent hand.

$ 4,000-6,000

314

PROPERTY FROM THE LANIER COLLECTION

A GRAY BUCK
India, Pahari, Kangra, circa 1800

Opaque watercolor with ink and white bodycolor
on paper
image: 4¾ by 6 in. (12.1 by 15.2 cm)

PROVENANCE
Acquired 1992
A lovely and sensitive study of the deer standing
with gray-back and white anks. His clear eye
and large horns so naturalistically rendered.
Inscribed above in red ink Takri script.
The verso bearing a black ink portrait of a Sikh
sardar.

$ 1,200-1,800