AN INDIAN COURTESAN, SIGNED BY MU’IN MUSAVVIR, PERSIA, SAFAVID, DATED 1075 AH/1664-65 AD |

gouache heightened with gold on paper, signed and dated at the bottom left, mounted on an album page with a light blue border with gold flowers, old label and inscriptions to reverse

S.J. Tellery & Co, Delhi, 'Dealers in Indian Curios' (old label on reverse). Tellery was a Victorian-era English merchant in India, who displayed an East India exhibit at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, in 1893.

In overall good condition, minor losses to the paint, affecting maily the ear and the huqqa, minor stains and some losses to the border, repainting affecting mainly the feet of the lady, the reverse with various annotations in pen and pencil, a collector's label naming the dealer S.J.Tellery & Co, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Mu’in Musavvir was one of the greatest Persian artists of the seventeenth century and also one of the most prolific, active between 1635 and 1707. This elegant portrait of an Indian courtesan is a fine example of the delicacy and finesse of his brushstrokes. The woman is reclining on a finely decorated bolster, illuminated with birds in two tones of gold. She holds in her right hand a small bowl and in her left the neck of a bottle, smoking a huqqa and with a plate full of peaches and pomegranates. The background is filled with Chinese clouds and vegetation. Due to the treatment of her face, the jewellery she wears (several bazubands and pearl necklaces), we can identify the lady as an Indian courtesan. A nearly identical portrait of a lady signed by Mu’in Musavvir and dated 1084 AH/1673 AD, was sold in these rooms, 23 April 1997, lot 30. There are a number of similarities between this and the current portrait: both women are depicted reclining similarly on two bolsters, with their hands and feet in a similar position, differing only in the hairstyle and jewellery worn and the presence of the huqqa.