Untitled

Unknown

ca. 1760 · Ink, opaque watercolor, and silver on paper · Asian Art

Like many portraits of the Rajput elite, this depiction of Thakur Utham Ram shows him with objects that denote his status. He reclines on a bulbous cushion and smokes an elaborate silver bidriware hookah painted with applied silver; even the complex floral designs typical of this refined metalwork are shown. He wears elaborate jewels, displays his sword, and sits on carpets rendered in great detail. Jhilai was an important feudatory state of Jaipur that was in line for dynastic succession to the throne if heirs from the Jaipur ruler were lacking.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1760

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and silver on paper

Culture

India (Rajasthan, Jhilai)

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Cynthia Hazen Polsky, 1987