An illustration to a Ramayana series: King Dasharatha bids farewell to his sons, attributable to Purkhu and his family workshop, North India, Kangra, circa 1800-20
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
gouache heightened with gold on paper, with minute identifying inscriptions in white and red devanagari script, narrow blue border with gold and silver floral scroll, red rule, trimmed pink speckled margin, the reverse inscribed with '49 Val' in black devanagari to upper centre, later inventory numbers in black ink, typed label adhered to lower centre
painting 24.2 by 35.2cm.; with border 26.3 by 38.1cm.
This illustration belongs to the first book of the Ramayana, the Bala Kanda. The rishis, Vishwamitra and Vashishtha, are seen in an upper left chamber seated with King Dasharatha. Vishwamitra has come to ask Dasharatha to send his four sons (Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughana) with him so that Vishwamitra can train them in the art of war and the use of celestial weaponry (divyastra). The mothers of Dasharatha’s four sons, Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra, are depicted embracing Lakshmana as Rama follows Vishwamitra. Armed with bows and arrows, the four princes follow the deer-skin clad sage as they all leave the palace.
For a brief discussion on the master artist Purkhu and his family workshop, see lot 190. For three other paintings from the same series in the present sale, see lots 190, 193, and 194.
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