Rare Paintings
 14 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
TUTINAMA, literal meaning "TALES OF A PARROT", is a 14th-century Persian series of 52 stories. An illustrated version containing 250 miniature paintings was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar in the later part of the 16th century. The work redacted in 14th century AD in Iran derives from a... Read More
 14 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
A Street in the City of Poonah - 1871

Water-colour painting of a street scene in Pune (Poona) by John Frederick Lester (1825-1915) dated to between 1865 and 1877. This is part of an album of 30 folios of watercolours made between 1865 and 1877 in Kathiawar, Bombay, Poona, Mahabaleshwar and Sav... Read More
 14 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
Deshastha Brahmins (Marathi: देशस्थ ब्राह्मण, Kannada: ದೇಶಸ್ಥ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರು) are the original and the oldest Hindu Brahmin sub-caste mainly from the Indian state of Maharashtra and some districts of northern Karnataka. The word Deshastha comes from the Sanskrit words Desha and Stha which mean inland... Read More
 13 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
The Artist's Encampment - 1826

Water-colour painting of the encampment of the artist, William Havell (1782-1857) made between 1819 and 1826. Inscribed on the back in ink is: 'My encampment' under 'the shade of Tamarind trees in India. W. Havell.'

Havell came from a well-known Reading family... Read More
 13 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
A manuscript of the Gulistan (Rosegarden) by Sa'di; Sa'di in a Rose garden

Text dated 1468, illumination added early 16th c., paintings repainted ca. 1645

Govardhan , (Indian, Indian)
Mughal dynasty
Reign of Shah Jahan

Ink, gold, and opaque watercolor on paper
H: 25.4 W: 33.9 cm
India and I... Read More
 12 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
Head of a man in Arab dress, possibly Sir Richard Burton
Oil painting
ca. 1890-1897 (painted)
Artist/Maker: Letchford, Albert (attributed to, painter (artist))

Historical context note :
A similar figure appears in a number of Letchford's illustrations for Burton's Arabian Nights, 1897; eg., plat... Read More
 11 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
Portrait of a Boy, Roman period, 2nd century
Egyptian
Encaustic on wood

The young teenage boy in this remarkably lifelike mummy portrait looks calmly at the viewer, his head in three-quarter view. He is dressed in a white Roman tunic with a narrow purple clavus (a vertical stripe) over the r... Read More
 8 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
The Fort of Kutool Gur'h Key of Kalee Kumaoon - 1815

Watercolour by Hyder Young Hearsey (1782-1840)of the fort of Kutulgarh at Kumaon, Uttar Pradesh, dated 1815. The strong fortress of Kutulgarh a few miles north of Champavat seems perched on a conical mass of rock. Mistakenly thinking it was ... Read More
 7 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
Pillar of Firoz Shah at Delhi - 1810

Water-colour painting of the Pillar of Firoz Shah at Delhi by an anonymous artist, 1808-1820. Inscribed on the front in pencil is: 'The Lat of Firoz Shah at Delhi.'

Firozabad, today also known as Firoz Shah Kotla, was begun by Firoz Shah Tughluq (r. 1351... Read More
 6 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
Distant view of the Ganges River at Bhagalpur (Bihar) - 1814

Water-colour painting of the Ganges River at Bhagalpur with Cleveland's house on a hill to the right by Robert Smith (1787-1873) between 1814 and1815. Inscribed on the mount in pencil is: 'Mr Cleveland's House at Boglipoore'.

Bhag... Read More
 6 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
Mountainous landscape near the source of the Ganges - 1817

Water-colour painting of a mountainous landscape near the source of the Ganga River in Himachal Pradesh by James Broff Byers (1785-1870). This may be the original of a water-colour attributed by Sir William Foster to Francis Nicholson.... Read More
 5 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
Exterior of the Jami Masjid and Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri - 1800

Watercolour of the exterior of the Jami' Masjid with the Buland Darwaza in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh. The palace-city complex at Fatehpur Sikri was built by Akbar (r.1556-1605), the third Mughal ruler of India, between 1... Read More
 5 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
View of the fort of Cochin , from across the backwater, with the Union flag flying from the warehouse, formerly the Portuguese Cathedral of Santa Cruz - 1800

Water-colour painting of the fort of Cochin, from across the backwater by an unknown artist, c.1800. The image is inscribed: 'View of Co... Read More
 3 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
The interior of the Qadam Rasul mosque enshrining the Prophet's footprint at Gaur - 1817

Watercolour of Qadum Rasul mosque at Gaur from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Malda to Gunga Pursaad Vol. II' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1817-21. Marquess o... Read More
 2 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
Chitpore Road and 'Black Pagoda', Calcutta - 1829

Watercolour of the Chitpore Road and the Black Pagoda in Calcutta by Thomas Prinsep (1800-1830) dated c.1829. Inscribed on the album page: 'Calcutta, Noubruttun-Chitpoor Bazaar'.

The Black Pagoda, a Shiva temple, was built on the Chitpore Ro... Read More
 2 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
View of Circular Road, Calcutta - 1848

Watercolour of Circular Road in Calcutta by Edward Augustus Prinsep (1828-1900) dated c.1848. Inscribed on the front in ink: 'On the Circular Road, Calcutta.'.

Circular Road in Calcutta was one of the improvements implemented by Marquis Wellesley on hi... Read More
 2 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
Native shops in a Calcutta Bazaar - 1867

This chromolithograph is taken from plate 39 of William Simpson's 'India: Ancient and Modern'. Simpson often included scenes of local colour in his paintings, as in this detailed image of a small Indian shop in Calcutta selling lentils and grains. He th... Read More
 1 Nov 2011 Rare Paintings
The hill fort of Deogarh, circumvallated, with walls ascending the left side, with further hills beyond - 1818

Watercolour of the hill fort of Deogarh, by an anonymous artist working in the Calcutta style, part of the Hastings Albums, c. 1818. Inscribed below: 'A view of the Fort of Deogurh. N... Read More
 31 Oct 2011 Rare Paintings
Kabir at his loom

Object: Painting
Place of origin: Punjab Hills (made)
Date: ca. 1790 (made)
Artist/Maker: Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques:
Brush drawing with watercolour on paper
Credit Line:
Purchased with the assistance of Lady Rothenstein and The Art Fund

Source : ... Read More
 30 Oct 2011 Rare Paintings
New Book :
The Sensuous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes from South India
By Vidya Dehejia with essays by Richard H. Davis, R. Nagaswamy, and Karen Pechilis Prentiss
Published in 2003 by the AFA in association with University of Washington Press

From the ninth to the thirteenth centuries, the... Read More
 27 Oct 2011 Rare Paintings
South view of the Temple of Avutaiyar Kovil, near Tanjore - 1803

Watercolour drawing with pen and ink of the temple of Avudaiyarkoil near Thanjavur, by an anonymous artist working in the South India/Madurai style, c. 1803. Inscribed: '84. No.10. A South View of the Selebrated Pagoda of Auveday... Read More