The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 11, 2026

A vertically oriented gum tempera and gold painting on a pink mount depicts Maharana Jawan Singh, a man with a medium skin tone and a black beard, standing in profile facing our right in a lush landscape. He wears white and gold robes, pearl necklaces, and a jeweled turban, a golden halo behind his head. He holds a falcon on a gloved hand and a red staff. Stylized foliage flanks him against a blue background.

Maharana Jawan Singh of Mewar (r. 1828–38) Holding a Falcon

c. 1835

possibly by Ghasi

(Indian, active c. 1820–36)
Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Mewar
gum tempera, pearls, silk, and gold on paper
Page: 31.2 x 23.9 cm (12 5/16 x 9 7/16 in.); Painting: 21.6 x 13.8 cm (8 1/2 x 5 7/16 in.)
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.149
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Actual pearls have been sewn onto the page at his belt and earrings.

Description

A profoundly bejeweled Jawan Singh, ruler of the largest Rajput kingdom, looks his hunting falcon straight in the eye. The bird also appears regal, with a gold plumed cap on the his head and a gold necklace around its neck. The multicolored poppies at his feet and the thick foliage of the trees seem to have parted in deference to his majesty, so his form can be better offset by the flat blue sky.
  • ?–2018
    Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer, Beverly Hills, CA, partial sale and gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2018–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Maharana Jawan Singh of Mewar (r. 1828–38) Holding a Falcon|url=false|author=Ghasi|year=c. 1835|access-date=11 September 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2018.149