A nobleman listening to music

This work was probably painted by artists imported from Rajasthan (Mewar) because the heavily moustached faces are typical of that style. The colours are rich and glowing and the paint is so thick that it almost has a lacquer-like effect. The ruler sits on a raised seat against a cushion. On the carpet beside him are a rose-water sprinkler and a paan box. Behind him is an attendant standing in front of a rolled blind and holding a peacock fan. Their transparent costumes, sashes, turbans and jewellery seem Deccani, as does the unusual glowing colour combination of orange, lime green and purple. The musicians are Hindus because their robes fasten under their left arms. The musician with an animal head, directing the music and playing cymbals, is probably meant to be a personified god. The work illustrates a Ragamala, or musical mode, a Deccani specialisation.

Description taken from the ‘Art From The Indian Sub-Continent In The Sainsbury Centre’ catalogue by Margaret A. Willey (Sainsbury Centre, UEA, 1995).