Important Notice

Reign of Maharana Jagat Singh I of Mewar
Mewar School
Circa 1635-1645
Mineral pigments on paper
9 x 7.5 in (22.5 x 19 cm)

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Formerly in the Collection of the American architect John Yeon, acquired before 1962
Private Collection, India

The Kavipriya was composed by the poet Keshavdas between 1601 and 1607, and this series is among the earliest pictorial representations of his verses. Unlike the near-contemporary Mewar Rasikapriya, of which a substantial group survives, only a small number of Kavipriya folios are known today, many dispersed in museum collections. The text centres on themes of love and rasa, exploring the emotional nuances of romantic devotion.

In this charming folio, the narrative unfolds across compartmentalised spaces, a device often seen in early Mewar paintings. Radha and Krishna appear in the upper left, seated outside their chamber. In the adjoining room a bed is prepared with flowers, a garland, and lotus buds. Two sakhis are seen engaged in conversation on the ground floor while a deer approaches them with curiosity. The use of vivid, saturated colours heightens the emotional tenor of the scene. The corresponding verse is inscribed at the top of the page.

Another folio from the same series, though less vibrant in palette, is housed in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D C. The distinguished collector Edwin Binney III, who assembled one of the most comprehensive holdings of Indian painting, also acquired a page from this rare and significant series.

Reign of Maharana Jagat Singh I of Mewar
Mewar School
Circa 1635-1645
Mineral pigments on paper
9 x 7.5 in (22.5 x 19 cm)

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Formerly in the Collection of the American architect John Yeon, acquired before 1962
Private Collection, India

The Kavipriya was composed by the poet Keshavdas between 1601 and 1607, and this series is among the earliest pictorial representations of his verses. Unlike the near-contemporary Mewar Rasikapriya, of which a substantial group survives, only a small number of Kavipriya folios are known today, many dispersed in museum collections. The text centres on themes of love and rasa, exploring the emotional nuances of romantic devotion.

In this charming folio, the narrative unfolds across compartmentalised spaces, a device often seen in early Mewar paintings. Radha and Krishna appear in the upper left, seated outside their chamber. In the adjoining room a bed is prepared with flowers, a garland, and lotus buds. Two sakhis are seen engaged in conversation on the ground floor while a deer approaches them with curiosity. The use of vivid, saturated colours heightens the emotional tenor of the scene. The corresponding verse is inscribed at the top of the page.

Another folio from the same series, though less vibrant in palette, is housed in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D C. The distinguished collector Edwin Binney III, who assembled one of the most comprehensive holdings of Indian painting, also acquired a page from this rare and significant series.