Description:

A STUDY OF A RED DOUBLE-FLOWERED POPPY, INDIA, MUGHAL DECCAN OR POSSIBLY KISHANGARH, 17TH CENTURY
India, Deccan or Kishangarh school, 17th century

Description:
Opaque pigments on paper; a finely rendered botanical study of a red double-flowered poppy, delicately painted with remarkable naturalism and precision. The serrated leaves and unopened buds are executed in vivid green against a pale background, demonstrating refined brushwork and a deep understanding of plant anatomy. The verso remains blank, mounted with period-style tapes at the edges.

Botanical studies such as this are emblematic of Mughal and Deccani atelier practice, often created for imperial albums (muraqqas) under the patronage of rulers like Shah Jahan and later adapted in Rajput courts such as Kishangarh. The meticulous attention to floral form and subtle shading places this example within that prestigious lineage.

Comparable examples:

  • Botanical study of a red lily, Mughal India, late 17th century, sold at Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, 25 April 2018, Lot 92, for £16,250.

  • A study of a marigold, Deccan, mid-17th century, opaque pigments on paper, Christie’s South Kensington, 7 October 2013, Lot 154, realised £12,500.

  • Gouache painting of a tulip, attributed to Mughal atelier, c. 1650, sold at Bonhams, Indian and Islamic Art, 30 April 2019, Lot 84, for £15,000.

Note:
Botanical illustrations from Mughal and Deccan schools reflect a synthesis of Persian miniature aesthetics and the naturalistic inquiry fostered during the reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan. This study, with its controlled composition and high pigment density, stands as a fine representation of that tradition and may have once belonged to a muraqqa or courtly scientific manuscript.

 



Length x Width: 16 x 8cm

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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