The Lustration of Sugriva, an illustration from the ‘Shangri’ Ramayana series, Bahu (Jammu) or Kulu, circa 1700-20

gouache on paper, red borders with a thin black rule, reverse with inscription "104 kishkinda 107"

Sotheby's London, 10 October 1977, lot 101.

In good general condition, colours bright, some creases to external angles and small tears, hairline creases with some minor associated discoloration to image, set on mount, reverse with ink marks, some discoloration, as viewed.
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The 'Shangri' Ramayana is recognised as one of the most important narrative series in early Pahari painting. It derives its name from Shangri, the place of residence of the branch of the Kulu royal family who formerly owned the finest portion of the series. W.G. Archer attributed the series to Kulu (Archer 1973, vol.I, pp.325-9, vol.II, pp.238-243, nos.1(I)-5(iii)). Subsequently Goswamy and Fischer reattributed the series to Bahu (Goswamy and Fischer 1992, pp.76-91). More recently Kossak has re-affirmed Goswamy's attribution to Bahu (Kossak 2011), as have Seyller and Mittal, and McInerney (Seyller and Mittal 2014, p.28-30; McInerney 2016, cats.42, 58-61, pp.134-7, 168-175).

Archer discerned four styles in this series. The present illustration falls in to his Style III, which Archer describes as being full of "bold gusto", while McInerney adds that "The illustrated folios painted in Style III are perhaps the most narratively effective in the entire series. Background accoutrements are reduced to a bare minimum, the figures are lithe and fast-moving, and the narrative action is always clear." (McInerney 2016, p.170).

The lustration of Sugriva features in Part IV of the Ramayana, the Kishkindha Kanda, and occurs as part of the enthronement of Sugriva after he has defeated his brother Bali with Rama's help and reclaimed the throne of Kishkindha:

"Those lions among the Forest-dwellers had visited the banks of rivers and streams, far and wide, as well as the sacred places and the seas, in order to draw pure water which they brought back in pitchers of gold. Employing golden vases and the polished horns of bulls, Gaja, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sharabha, Ghandhamadana, Mainda, Dvivda, Hanuman and Jambavan in accordance with the tradition laid down in the scriptures and on the instructions of the Sages, poured the clear water over Sugriva, as formerly the Vasus bathed Vasava of a Thousand Eyes" (Ramayana, tr. Shastri 1969, Vol.II, p.233).

The text describes the vases from which the pure water is poured on Sugriva as being gold. Here they are white, but they have been decorated with horizontal stripes of silver paint, which, on close inspection under magnification, has a glittering gold effect, referencing the detailed description in the text.

Other illustrations from this series are in a number of collections including the National Museum, Delhi, the Bharat Kala Bhavan, Varanasi, the British Library, London, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Rietberg Museum, Zurich, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the San Diego Museum of Arts (Edwin Binney 3rd Collection), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Portland Museum of Art. Further examples have been sold in these rooms 15 July 1970, lots 161-183, 23 March 1973, lot 120, 9 July 1974, lots 207-208, 10 October 1977, lots 100-101 (the latter being the present example), 24 April 1979, lot 164, 14 December 1987, lots 92-95, 11 April 1988, lots 68-70, 10 October 1988, lot 117-119, 29 April 1992, lots 13-15, 23 April 1997; and in our New York rooms, 21 May 1981, lot 99, 21 September 1985, lots 422-424, 22 March 1989, lot 155, 21 March 1990, lot 30, 6 October 1990, lots 46-48, 115 and 115, 2 June 1992, lots 155-156, 23 March 1995, lot 125, 19 September 1996, lot 181, 19 March 2008, lot 232, 19 September 2008, lot 246, 19 March 2014, lot 10.