Lot 267: A LARGE INDIAN TEXTILE PAINTING AFTER THE AKBARNAMA DEPICTING AKBAR TAMING THE ELEPHANT HAWAI, 19TH CENTURY.
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This large-scale painting on a textile substrate, likely gouache and bodycolour on cotton, is a decorative rendition of a celebrated scene from the Akbarnama. The composition is based on the late 16th-century Mughal miniature originally attributed to the artists Basawan and Chatai, depicting the Emperor Akbar riding the fierce elephant Hawai as he pursues another elephant, Ran Bagha, across a collapsing bridge of boats on the River Yamuna. The scene is set against the backdrop of the Red Fort at Agra. The painting illustrates the chaotic moment with servants falling into the river and noble figures watching from a boat in the upper right. The figures are rendered in profile in a traditional North Indian style with a rich palette of red, ochre, and blue. The work is finished with a simple red inner border and an ochre-coloured outer margin.
Approximately 171 x 113cm
Condition report:
The painting shows significant signs of age and storage, including prominent horizontal and vertical creasing across the entire textile. There are visible areas of pigment cracking and minor loss, particularly on the darker bodies of the elephants and along the main fold lines. The edges of the textile show minor fraying and wear. Some light overall fading is present, consistent with a textile work of this nature.
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