An Illustration from a Ragamala Series: Dhanashri Ragini

The present and following lots belong to a fine ragamala series with a striking color palette and unusual iconography. The series has been attributed to the Northern Deccan because of the presence of both Deccani and Rajasthani features in the paintings. Dhanashri is seated on a golden chair against a large saffron-colored cushion within a garden pavilion, with three companions attending to her. A fountain within a formal garden seen at the bottom of the painting is characteristic to this ragamala series and appears in several other pages. 

Compare the setting, particularly the richly patterned pavilion terrace, with another page from the same series depicting Malava Ragaputra, in the collection of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; see Jim Masselos, Jackie Menzies and Pratapaditya Pal, Dancing to the Flute: Music and Dance in Indian Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 1997, no. 182, pp. 284-286.  Also see Joachim Bautze, Lotusmond und Löwenritt, Stuttgart, 1991, no. 46, p. 125.