AN ILLUSTRATION TO THE DVADASA BHAVA: A HERMIT AND MIR KANAK IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE YOUTH WHO IS IN LOVE WITH THE DAUGHTER OF THE VIZIER

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF STAFFORD ELIAS (Lots 331-334)The following four paintings come from a manuscript entitled Dvadasa Bhava that was offered in its entirety at Sotheby’s London in 1972. It is a Persian translation of a Sanskrit text whose title translates as “Twelve Existences.” The associated 1972 catalogue entry, presumably by Toby Falk, is very thorough. The note at that time confirmed that much of the narrative is focused on Vikramanka who they suggested was the same as the Gupta king Chandragupta II (r. circa 380-415 AD) who gave himself the title Vikramanka on his coinage. He could also however be the Western Chalukyan king Vikramaditya VI who also took the name Vikramanka, who reigned over a massive territory from 1076-1126 and was the subject of a lengthy panegyric by Bilhana, the author of the Chaurapancasika. The note also states that the original text was commissioned for a prince named Mrigank. From the text on these four leaves Mrigank appears also to be one of the main characters in the narrative, part of which is narrated directly by a narrator and part of which describes the deeds of Mrigank, whose name is picked out in black-outlined gold script. No trace has been found of the original Sanskrit work and there appears to be no other Persian translation apart from the volume from which these paintings come.Various scholars have studied the group of manuscripts that were produced for Prince Salim in Allahabad. Among them are the Diwan of Amir Hassan Dihlawi dated 1602 (Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, MS.W.650), the Yog Vashisht of 1602 the Raj Kunwar of 1603-4. both in the Chester Beatty Library (inv. nos. ms.5 and ms.37) and extensively published by Linda York Leach (Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, London, 1995, vol.I, pp.147-232) and an Anwar-i Suhaili of 1604-5 in the British Library (inv. no. Add.18579). Not only are the manuscripts stylistically similar, especially the Raj Kunwar, but also the fact that the two Chester Beatty manuscripts are each Persian translations of earlier Hindu works, very similar in tone to the present manuscript, indicate a cohesive focus in this short-lived atelier. At the time of the Sotheby’s sale the Dvadasa Bhava manuscript was complete with text, illuminated shamsa signed by Muhammad Sadiq, illuminated heading, and thirteen miniatures. There was no colophon. The illuminated folios and the miniatures had already been separated from the text. The notes in Mr Elias’ catalogue state clearly that it was bought in partnership with two other people and that the lot was then split into three groups, Mr Elias retaining the four paintings that are now offered as the following four lots. Three of the paintings have surfaced since the sale: one was sold to Edwin Binney and is now in the San Diego Museum (Indian Miniature Painting From the Collection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portland Art Museum, Portland, 1973, p.71, no.44), one was sold at Christie's New York, 17 September 1999, lot 275, and the third was sold at Sotheby’s London 5 October 2011, lot 134.

AN ILLUSTRATION TO THE DVADASA BHAVA: A HERMIT AND MRIGANK IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE YOUTH WHO IS IN LOVE WITH THE DAUGHTER OF THE VIZIER

Mughal court artist at Allahabad, North India, 1600-1605

Details

AN ILLUSTRATION TO THE DVADASA BHAVA: A HERMIT AND MRIGANK IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE YOUTH WHO IS IN LOVE WITH THE DAUGHTER OF THE VIZIER
Mughal court artist at Allahabad, North India, 1600-1605
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper, two lines of black nasta'liq above and below, the reverse with 15ll. black, red, blue and gold nasta'liq, colored ruled margins each side, mounted, framed and glazed
Painting 6 ¾ x 4 3/8 in. (16.9 x 11.3 cm.); folio 13 ¾ x 8 5/8 in. (33.5 x 22 cm.)

Provenance

Sotheby’s London, 11 July 1972, part lot 45 (ill. as frontis).

Lot Essay

In this scene, the old ascetic in the bottom left hand corner is amazed at the way the young man is looking with such lust at the portrait of the young girl, as if she was alive. He has a conversation with the boy about how this is just an image and he should not be so foolish. The boy responds “I am in love and apart from serving her I have no other duties in the world.” In the background landscape the hermit and Mrigank are shown discussing the events in the foreground.
The artist of this painting in the original catalogue was identified as “Artist B”. While the figures are clearly fully in the Mughal idiom, the vegetation shows a very strong Persian influence; the prunus trees entwined with the cypress trees and the dense clumps of brilliant flowering plants that line the stream are both clear demonstrations.

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