Pancham Ragini from a Ragamala set

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 1
Download Image IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    ca. 1640
  • Geography

    Madhya Pradesh state, Malwa, India
  • Material

    Color on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W: 18 x 13.8 cm (7 1/16 x 5 7/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1923.7
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1923.7

Object Details

  • Court

    Malwa Court
  • School/Tradition

    Central Indian school
  • Provenance

    ?-1913
    Unidentified individual, Delhi, India, method of acquisition unknown [1]
    1913-1923
    Dr. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877-1947), purchased from Unidentified individual in Delhi, India [2]
    From 1923
    National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, purchased from Dr. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Ananda Coomaraswamy, “Catalogue of the Indian Collections in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Part V, Rajput Painting” [book], (Cambridge: Harvard university Press, 1926), p. 71. The publication indicates that this Ragamala series was previously in the collection of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Coomaraswamy’s collection “originally contained twenty-three of the series, and these were obtained [by him] in Delhi [in 1913] […].”
    [2] See note 1.
    Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy was an art historian, curator, and collector of South Asian art. Born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Coomaraswamy grew up in England where he received a doctorate in geology. Coomaraswamy was active as a geologist until 1910, when he became interested in the arts of Ceylon and India. He became deeply committed to introducing Western audiences to Indian art. In 1917, he accepted a curatorial post at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where he remained until his death.
    [3] See object file for copy of The National Commission of Fine Arts purchase list, dated December 14, 1923, marked as approved on December 15, 1923. Object is one of the “7 Rajput paintings” described.
    The object is part of the museum’s Freer Gallery of Art Collection.
    Research updated July 19, 2024
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    South and South East Asian Art (May 9, 1993 to February 7, 2000)
    Hindu and Buddhist Art (January 28, 1981 to September 24, 1981)
    Indian Art (January 1, 1963 to January 28, 1981)
    Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Paintings, Gallery 7 (January 10, 1945 to October 2, 1947)
    Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Paintings, Gallery 4 (May 5, 1933 to January 9, 1945)
    Untitled Exhibition, Persian Art (March 14, 1931 to May 5, 1933)
    Near Eastern Pottery and Persian Painting (May 2, 1923 to March 14, 1931)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Dr. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877-1947)
  • Origin

    Madhya Pradesh state, Malwa, India
  • Credit Line

    Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
  • Type

    Painting
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

    The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring