Mughal-inspired miniature painting on Marble

The piece: A beautifully hand-painted slate of marble depicting courtship in Mughal times.
The representation of love in its many forms was a significant theme in Rajasthani and Pahari miniatures. Devotional and romantic love was deeply intertwined. Among the favourite texts referenced for the portrayal of romance was the Rasamanjari by Bhanudatta, a 16th century AD poem containing 163 stanzas, each describing the conduct of lovers. The Rasamanjari adapts the nine rasas or sentiments of traditional Indian mythology, drawing on these to further classify its nayaks (heroes) and nayikas (heroines) according to their temperament and behaviour – which formed the basis of the subject matter in these Indian miniatures.