Cleveland Museum of Art

Women playing at cross-dressing

Date: c. 1680–1700; border added 1800s
Medium: ink heightened with colors on paper
Culture: India, Golconda, Deccan, 17th century
Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

In this scene harem women act out the visit of a prince. One of them has donned a man’s royal feathered turban, and a lady affectionately offers a cup of wine as attendants stand by with two more bottles, a fan, and a rose. The master artist of an Indian painting workshop would draw the composition and make visual notations as to which colors and patterns should be used. The drawing would then be given to a colorist to paint, with final details rendered by another artist or the initial master. Heavy eyelids give a languorous quality to paintings made in Golconda.

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