Page 161 - Bonhams Indian and Himalayan Art March 2016 New York

114
A GEM DEALER
Kangra, Sikh period, mid-19th century
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; verso with unidentified ink
signature.
Image: 7 3/4 x 11 5/8 in. (19.7 x 29.5 cm);
Folio: 10 3/4 x 14 5/8 in. (27.2 x 37.1 cm)
$7,000 - 10,000

At this merchant stall, a despondent looking gem dealer seems to
tune out the negotiations of his dapper young client. His bifocals
and various sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds are scattered on
the mat beside him in amongst the inlaid boxes and traditional
white bundle-containers. Both his client’s fur-trimmed jacket and
the dealer’s green and gold jama speak to the lucrative business
he is in. As does the empty bench in front of them, unpopulated by
street-goers compared with other paintings from this series (see
the previous lot for more information).

The dealer covers his legs with a deep orange and floral trim Kashmiri
blanket, perhaps keeping warm from the Punjabi winter. Behind him,
Kangra-style nayika miniatures of love, suggest his client is here to
buy a group of pearls as a gift. But, the dealer’s deadpan gaze at the
viewer suggests they are far from agreement.

Provenance
Private New England Estate, acquired in Paris, 1960’s

INDIAN, HIMALAYAN & SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART | 159