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An attractive and unusual old Indian hand-painted narrative painting, depicting a richly dressed male figure meeting or conversing with a woman within a stylised landscape.
The male figure wears a striking green costume with a long curved sword at his waist, while the female figure is shown in flowing yellow and purple garments. To the side, a decorated horse appears partly behind the trees, adding considerable charm and narrative interest to the composition.
The setting is beautifully rendered with stylised trees, rolling hills and distant landscape, using a subdued traditional palette of green, ochre, yellow, purple, blue and orange.
The entire scene is surrounded by multiple fine hand-drawn black borders.
Of particular interest is the presence of Indian-script inscriptions, including an inscription beneath the painting and a further handwritten inscription on the reverse. The reverse inscription appears to contain the word “Ragini”, making a connection with the Indian Ragamala/Ragini painting tradition possible. I would, however, leave the exact identification of the scene and Ragini to specialist interpretation rather than make a definite attribution.
The painting is executed by hand on old paper and has considerable visual character from its age.
Details
Type: Indian miniature / folk painting
Medium: Hand-painted pigments/colour on paper
Subject: Male and female figures in landscape with horse
Possible Theme: Ragini / Ragamala subject
Origin: India
Original: Hand painted
Framed: No
Inscribed: Yes – inscription to front and handwritten notation on reverse
Orientation: Landscape
Approximate Size
The measuring photographs indicate an overall sheet size of approximately 14 inches × 8 inches (35.5 × 20 cm).
The sheet has irregular edges, so measurements are approximate. Please refer to the measurement photographs for exact visual reference.
Condition
This is an old painting with age and wear. Please study all photographs carefully for the exact condition and completeness of the paper, particularly around the margins and edges. The photographs form an important part of the description.
The principal painted scene remains attractive and the colors of the figures, costume and landscape display well.
The artwork is offered exactly as photographed.
Attribution & Age
I would not put a precise century in the listing without specialist examination. There is convincing age and the work has characteristics associated with traditional Indian manuscript/folk painting, but photographs alone aren\'t sufficient to guarantee an exact date or regional school.
The inscription on the reverse is especially useful and could potentially allow the precise subject to be identified by someone familiar with the script and Ragamala iconography.
Type: Painting
Original/Licensed Reproduction: Original
Production Technique: Hand Painted
Subject: Figures, Horse, Landscape
Style: Indian Miniature / Folk Art
Theme: Indian / Religious & Cultural / Ragamala
Material: Paper
Culture: Indian
Country/Region of Manufacture: India
Features: Hand Painted, Inscribed
Framing: Unframed
Orientation: Landscape
Signed: No identifiable artist signature
