Cleveland Museum of Art

A princess reclining on a terrace with attendants

Date: c. 1730–1740
Medium: Gum tempera and gold on paper
Culture: India, Mughal, 18th century
Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

This scene presents an idealized view of the life of a Mughal princess. Bejeweled and dressed in costly garments, she reclines on a couch set up on a white marble terrace. She watches two musicians sing and clap time, and a companion pours for her a cup of liquor. Two attendants stand behind, one waving a whisk to keep away the insects and another holding a box of paan, a betel-leaf preparation for freshening the breath. At the far right an older woman of the harem holds a fan while enjoying a hookah. White is the color worn by widows.

View at Cleveland Museum of Art ↗

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.