Conversation between a young woman and an ascetic, folio pro - Lot 247

Conversation between a young woman and an ascetic, folio probably from the Dvâdasa Bhâva (The Twelve Existences) manuscript copied in Allahabad, North India, Mughal school, circa 1600-1605 Manuscript folio on paper with 4 lines of text in Persian nasta'liq in black ink, some names in red, blue and gold inks, the text framing an important illustration in gouache heightened with gold, depicting an ascetic dervish in conversation with a woman under a tree, his cane and beaker beside him. In the foreground, a body of water populated by wading birds and a fish emerging amidst water lilies, and behind the protagonists several landscape shots unfold: hills animated by birds, another occupied by two notables with nimbed faces in conversation at the foot of a tree, a body of water with a boat and, in the distance, the outline of a city. The reverse of the folio is blank. Framed. Dim. folio: 24.2 x 13.2 cm; dim. painting: 16.9 x 11.5 cm Some polychromy and stains, a few repaints, folio shortened, deprived of its margin and most likely split and glued to cardboard. Provenance : Collection of Mr. Paul Esway, Director of Publications at Unesco. Then by descent. An Illustrated Leaf presumably from the Dvâdasa Bhâva ('Twelve Existences'), North India, Allahabad, c. 1600-05 Mughal painting at Prince Salîm's court in Allahabad at the turn of the 17th century This exceptional page is a rare example of book arts production at the court of Prince Salîm, future Emperor Jahangir, in Allahabad, North India, at the turn of the 17th century. Prince Salîm, son of Emperor Akbar, rebelled against his father in 1599 and moved to an independent city, Allahabad, until 1604. Poor relations with his father prevented him from benefiting from the services of artists working at court, but he knew how to surround himself with talented painters to fulfill his book art commissions. Rare works from the Prince's Kitabkhaneh include the famous Divan by Hassan Dihalvi, written in 1602 and illustrated with 14 paintings (Walters Art Gallery Baltimore, MS. W. 650), and a Persian translation of the Raj Kunwar, written in 1603 and illustrated with 51 paintings (Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, MS 37). In the case of our folio, there is a great deal of evidence pointing towards its attribution to a manuscript entitled the Dvâdasa Bhâva, copied around 1600-1605 and dispersed in its entirety on July 11, 1972 by Sotheby's (lot 45). The Dvâdasa Bhâva or Twelve Existences The Dvâdasa Bhâva or The Twelve Existences is a Persian translation of a Sanskrit text. This text, centered on a royal figure by the name of Vikramanka, is said to have been written for a prince named Mirkânak, who is mentioned several times in the narrative. Neither his identity nor that of the king is clearly defined. If the prince is not identifiable in Indian history, the king could be the Gupta king Chandragupta II (r. circa 380-415), who gave himself this title on coins minted in his name, or the western Chalukyan king Vikramaditya VI (r. 1076-1126), who is also so named. As for the subject of the narrative, the text seems to tell the story of a young woman aspiring to the life of an ascetic. The manuscript dispersed at Sotheby's, London, on July 11, 1972 and the fate of the folios The manuscript sold in London in 1972 appears to be the only version of this story known to date. At the time of its presentation at the sale, the manuscript was visibly incomplete, and the thirteen illustrated folios and an illuminated shamsah signed by Muhammad Sadiq were extracted from the text and presented separately. This valuable catalog information suggests the existence of other folios, and possibly of unlisted illustrated folios. It also immediately brings to mind a common commercial practice with valuable manuscripts, that of their dismemberment by their owners or merchants for commercial purposes. This was the fate of the Shâh-Nâme Demotte, named after the Parisian art dealer who, around 1910, took possession of the famous Book of the Kings of the Great Mongol, copied in Iran around 1330. The practice could take many forms, from the simple detachment of pages from their binding, to cutting, or even doubling the thickness of folios, thus dissociating the front from the back. WE INVITE YOU TO DISCOVER THE COMPLETE SHEET IN THE PDF CATALOG.