Important Notice

Double-sided Page from a Bhagwat Purana
Gujarat, Western India, Circa 1610
Mineral pigments on paper
4.5 x 9 in (11.5 x 23 cm)

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Mumbai

Western India was a major centre for miniature paintings much before regional styles evolved across the Subcontinent. The tradition began with Jain manuscripts and soon extended to Hindu epics. Around 1600, while Akbar was assembling his celebrated imperial atelier, courts in Gujarat were actively producing illustrated manuscripts of the Gita Govinda and the Bhagavata Purana. Their palette differed markedly from that of the Mughal school: colours remained primary and vibrant, and several stylistic features from earlier Jain painting traditions continued to inform the compositions.

This superbly preserved double-sided folio from a Bhagwat Purana manuscript depicts the marriage of Krishna and Rukmini. The couple is shown seated within an intimate enclosure, holding hands and absorbed in an intense mutual gaze. On either side are male and female guests dressed in colourful attire befitting the occasion. A deep ochre ground enhances the visual richness of the scene, while wedding decorations suspended from the ceiling lend a festive charm.

The verso presents a court scene. Ugrasena, Krishna’s grandfather is seated on a throne attended by a chauri (fly-whisk). Krishna, seated beside him, offers an object to a visiting dignitary. The facial features and costume details correspond closely with works from the early 17th century. Notably, the folio survives as an extremely well-preserved example from this important early series.

Double-sided Page from a Bhagwat Purana
Gujarat, Western India, Circa 1610
Mineral pigments on paper
4.5 x 9 in (11.5 x 23 cm)

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Mumbai

Western India was a major centre for miniature paintings much before regional styles evolved across the Subcontinent. The tradition began with Jain manuscripts and soon extended to Hindu epics. Around 1600, while Akbar was assembling his celebrated imperial atelier, courts in Gujarat were actively producing illustrated manuscripts of the Gita Govinda and the Bhagavata Purana. Their palette differed markedly from that of the Mughal school: colours remained primary and vibrant, and several stylistic features from earlier Jain painting traditions continued to inform the compositions.

This superbly preserved double-sided folio from a Bhagwat Purana manuscript depicts the marriage of Krishna and Rukmini. The couple is shown seated within an intimate enclosure, holding hands and absorbed in an intense mutual gaze. On either side are male and female guests dressed in colourful attire befitting the occasion. A deep ochre ground enhances the visual richness of the scene, while wedding decorations suspended from the ceiling lend a festive charm.

The verso presents a court scene. Ugrasena, Krishna’s grandfather is seated on a throne attended by a chauri (fly-whisk). Krishna, seated beside him, offers an object to a visiting dignitary. The facial features and costume details correspond closely with works from the early 17th century. Notably, the folio survives as an extremely well-preserved example from this important early series.