A FOLIO FROM A RAGAMALA SERIES: NAT RAGINI


JAIPUR, CIRCA 1750Opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Image: 7 1/2 x 6 3/8 in. (19 x 16.2 cm);Folio: 11 1/2 x 9 in. (29.2 x 22.8 cm)
|Against arching hills of glowing color, warriors battle on elephant- and horseback, in this unusual full-scale battle scene for a Nat Ragini painting. Another instance of a similar composition from a seperate series was produced in Jaipur in the 18th century (Ebling, Ragamala Paintings, Basel, 1973, p.37, no.C6). As noted by Ebling 'It is hard for the uninitiated viewer of Ragamala paintings to reconcile the concept of female ragini with the male images of battling warriors...While most ragamala paintings are conceived in a devotional or erotic mood, Nat visualizes music of a heroic mood.' Provenance Private German Collection