Description:

Lot 38. DESAKH RAGINI, WRESTLERS PERFORMING IN A LANDSCAPE
Orchha School, Central India, Circa 1770

Opaque pigments on paper, the composition is arranged in two registers. The upper scene depicts wrestlers and acrobats performing on a gently sloping ground before a row of stylised hills in soft pastel tones. At centre, a female figure is shown inverted, balanced upon a tall red post, flanked by male performers engaged in feats of strength and agility. To the left, an orange-robed figure observes while another performer prepares to draw a bow. Scattered coloured bolsters and cushions lie in the foreground. Text in black ink set against a yellow panel appears along the upper border. The lower register shows pairs of wrestlers grappling in dynamic postures, each wearing short patterned garments, their bodies outlined with confident linearity against a plain background.

The reverse is plain, formed of a single sheet of buff-toned paper with faint surface marks and a small adhesive label at the lower corner.

Ragini paintings of this type illustrate musical modes associated with the ragamala tradition, often expressed through scenes of performance, emotion, or seasonal activity. Depictions of wrestlers and acrobats visualise the energetic and vigorous qualities attributed to this musical mode.

Measurements: 36.5 x 25cm

Folio: 32 x 19cm

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December 16, 2025 1:00 PM GMT
London, United Kingdom

PLAKAS

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