Posted on: 26 March 2013

Nautch party

Thanjavur, India - 1830 ca.
Watercolour and gouache on paper

Nautch party; a dancing girl followed by six male musicians and three other members of the party. The men are playing hand cymbals, a violin, a flute, a meridanga and a bag pipe. The dancing girl and musicians are dressed mainly in white.
The violin was introduced from the Fort St George band by the brother of Muthuswami Dikshitar, composer (1775-1835).
One of a volume of thirty folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and procession scenes.

The pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India are called Company paintings. This one comes from a volume containing 30 folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and processional scenes. It shows a nautch party (from Hindi 'nach', dance), with a dancer-girl followed by six male musicians and three other members of the party. The men are playing hand-cymbals, a European violin, a flute, a mridanga (drum) and a bagpipe.

Copyright: © V&A Images


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Beautiful!

superb

Worth having

nice miniature work............

Love the vibrant colours!!!

Superb depiction of costumes of the period of Hari kirtan

Note the early use of the violin held in Karnatak style as well as the dancer (still called Nautch? at this time).

The violin may have been introduced even earlier by German missionaries to Vellala Indian Christians in Tanjavur and Traquebar. Possibly as early as the 1710s.

Violin introduced by Vadivel one of the tanjore quartets(fathers of bharathanatyam )

The ladies are Devadasys,they are in temple procession.