A night scene of Shiva puja (recto); Calligraphy (verso)

c. 1760–70
Location: not on view

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

The linga is a stylized phallic symbol denoting the creative capacities of Shiva.

Description

Hindu women had been prominent members of Mughal harems since the time of Akbar, whose chief queen was a Hindu princess from the kingdom of Amber (later renamed Jaipur) in present-day Rajasthan. Under golden stars and a crescent moon, this royal palace woman holds a flower garland to offer at a shrine to the Hindu god Shiva. The light of butter lamps casts a shadow behind her figure; experimentation with the depiction of shadows, typically absent in earlier Mughal painting, increased among artists during the 1700s.
A night scene of Shiva puja (recto); Calligraphy (verso)

A night scene of Shiva puja (recto); Calligraphy (verso)

c. 1760–70

Muhammad Rizavi Hindi, Ahmad al-Husaini

(Indian, active mid-1700s), null
India, Lucknow, Mughal, 18th century

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.