A Raja preparing to do puja attended by a servant

Northern Deccan or Tanjore, circa 1725-50 A.D.

Gouache on paper with gold

21 by 16 cm

This painting probably comes from a Hindu court in the northern Deccan, presumably linked to the Maratha hegemony in the area, but it may also be a product of the spread of Maratha rulers and culture to Tanjore.

It has been suggested that it may depict Shahu, the Maratha Raja of Satara.

Provenance

The Earl and Countess of Sandwich, Hinchinbrook Castle, Cambridgeshire