Fragment from Maharaja Pratap Singh with ladies of the royal harem

Object Details

• Patron

  Pratap Singh (1764-1803; reign 1778-1803)

• Artist

  Sahib Ram (ca. 1740-1800)

• Court

  Jaipur Court

• School/Tradition

  Rajput school

• Provenance

  1780-1800-?

  Pratap Singh (1764-1803; reign 1778-1803), commission from Sahib Ram (ca. 1740-1800) in Jaipur, India [1]

  ?-?

  Unidentified family, Jaipur, India and the United States [2]

  ?-1997

  Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd. (active 1990-2013), New York, NY, method of acquisition unknown [3]

  From 1997

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchase from Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd. [4]

  Notes:

  [1] This painting is attributed to Sahib Ram (ca. 1740-1800) who was one of the chief royal painters under the Maharaja of Jaipur, Pratap Singh (1764-1803; reign 1778-1803). See object information sheet from Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd., dated April 18, 1997, copy in object file.

  [2] See note 1. On the object information sheet from Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd., the provenance for this object is described as “Ex-collection: a family of Jaipur jewelers now settled in the USA. This painting left India well before 1970.”

  [3] See “Incoming Receipt,” dated April 18, 1997, copy in object file. The object was transferred from Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd. to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery for acquisition consideration on April 18, 1997.

  See also Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd. invoice issued by Terence McInerney, dated December 16, 1997, copy in object file. Object is described as “The Royal Ladies of Maharaja Pratap Singh.”

  Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd. (active 1990-2013) in New York, NY, specialized in Indian and Islamic paintings and occasionally three-dimensional metal and wooden objects. Founded by Terence G. McInerney, his prior firm was the Greater India Company, Inc. (active 1974-1991) in Cambridge, MA.

  [4] See Arthur M. Sackler, “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approved on December 16, 1997, copy in object file.

  Research updated July 31, 2023

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Arts of Mughal India (2004) (August 21, 2004 to February 6, 2005)

  Changing Tastes: Indian Paintings of the 18th and 19th Century (December 17, 2000 to July 15, 2001)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd. (active 1990-2013)

• Origin

  Jaipur, Rajasthan state, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1800s, 1780s

• Name

  McInerney, Terence

• Place

  Jaipur, Rajasthan state, India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Kachavaha dynasty, Art, Harem, Food habits, Hookah, Kings and rulers, Smoking

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings