MEWAR, RAJASTHAN, CIRCA 1610

This folio comes from a Ragamala series closely related to the so-called ‘Chawand’ Ragamala. The colophon of that manuscript is dated to Samvat 1662 (1605 AD), signed by the Muslim artist Nisaradi (Nasiruddin) and states that it was copied in Chauda (Chawand). Chawand was the temporary capital of Mewar at the beginning of the 17th century after the destruction of the city of Chitor by the troops of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The ‘Chawand’ Ragamala is the earliest known Ragamala series from Mewar and it along with other related series provides a link between the earlier Rajput style of the 16th century and the 17th century painting of Mewar that was influenced by the Mughal courts.

A folio from the ‘Chawand’ Ragamala was in the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection. Further discussion can be found in that catalogue (W.G. Archer and E. Binney, Rajput Miniatures from the Collection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portaland, 1968, no.2, p.18) and in K. Ebeling, Ragamala Painting, Basel, 1973, no.7, p. 159. A folio from that series sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 14 November 2002, lot 15. A folio from a closely related Ragamala was offered at Bonham’s, 10 April 2008, lot 91.