Musical entertainment, miniature mounted on album page - Lot 122

Musical entertainment, miniature mounted on album page Pigments and gold on paper North India or Kashmir, late 18th century Page size: 40 x 28 cm Provenance: Joseph Soustiel (old label on back) A notable seated on a terrace holds the mouthpiece of a blue-white porcelain huqqa to his mouth. He is entertained by two musicians playing the dholak and tambur, while a third subject serves him wine in a small cup. Pan is laid out in front of him. Note the birds in the glowing sky, and a frieze of latticework cartouches framing the scene. The format of the page, the style of the flowery margins and the presence of angels in mandorles are reminiscent of the pages of the Read album. This album, which belonged to Sir Charles Hercules Read (curator of the British Museum in the early 20th century), has thirty folios in the Morgan Library and originally comprised forty-eight, now dispersed. A page in the Morgan Library (MS M.458.14) features margins in the same spirit. Expert : Mr. Alexis Renard