Gouache on paper, depicting two princesses in an elaborately decorated house, animals and plants in the distance, the reverse with black inscriptions.
Note:
A ragamala (garland of ragas) is a unique pairing of paintings and poems that capture the essence of the classical Indian musical system. Each raga and ragini ('wife' of a raga) is associated with a time of day and season to evoke a particular mood. This is probably Malasri Ragini, which, like Varari (#21), is a morning raga for the rainy season. Here the heroine leans forward to take the garlands from her attendant's hands. The large golden water pot is no longer in a niche on the wall, but below in the garden, set ready for her morning bath which will prepare her for the arrival of her lover. The flat bold colors, schematic architecture and foliage show that this painting came from a workshop in central India. It's size and the unusual silver stripe in the border indicate that it, along with #21, was once part of the same ragamala as two pages in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (1968-12-3 and 1969-262-2).