Posthumous portrait of Raja Chhatar Singh of Chamba smoking a hookah with his brother and son

c. 1700

This object has related works. See

Northern India, Pahari kingdoms

Medium

Gum tempera and ink on paper

Measurements

Image: 16.2 x 26.5 cm (6 3/8 x 10 7/16 in.); Overall: 20.3 x 31 cm (8 x 12 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund 1960.47

You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Location

242B Indian Painting

Did You Know?

The back of this painting is lined with reused ledger paper.

Description

King Chhatar Singh (reigned 1664–90), his thinning facial hair shot through with gray, points to his heart, a gesture common in images of the deceased. With his right hand he grasps the pipe of a hookah, connecting him to his son Udai Singh, who holds the rim of its base. The king’s sword points directly to the boy, further linking them visually. Since hookah smoking connoted elite royal status in Pahari portraiture, this image suggests the passing of power from father to son.