Hemla Ragaputra, folio from a Ragamala series

Object Details

• School/Tradition

  Chamba or Bilaspur school

• Marks

  (verso on folio) rectangular seal of the Mandi Royal Collection stamped in purple ink with “2459” written in the center

• Inscriptions

  (recto) Original manuscript number 30 recto.

  (verso of folio) inscribed with two lines of takri and one line of devanagari: "raga hemal dipak de putra", translated "Hemal Raga, son of Dipak" Translated by Debra Diamond.

  (verso of folio) inscribed with two lines of takri and one line of devanagari: "raga hemal dipak de putra", translated "Hemal Raga, son of Dipak" Translated by Debra Diamond.

• Provenance

  ca. 1700-possibly 1960s or possibly ca. 1969

  Mandi Royal Collection, Mandi, India [1]

  Possibly 1960s-?

  Possibly Unidentified German collector, possibly purchased from the Mandi Royal Collection in India [2]

  Possibly ca. 1969

  Possibly Sale, Sotheby's, unidentified sale, ca. 1969 [3]

  Possibly ca. 1969-?

  Possibly Unidentified individual, possibly purchased at unidentified Sotheby’s sale or Possibly Unidentified German collector, possibly purchased from the Mandi Royal Collection [4]

  ?-ca. 2004-2009

  Unidentified dealer, Northern Germany, method of acquisition unknown [5]

  ca. 2004-2009-September 2009

  Francesca Galloway, London, purchased from unidentified dealer, Northern Germany [6]

  September 2009-2018

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim, purchased from Francesca Galloway [7]

  From 2018

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchase and partial gift from Catherine Glynn Benkaim [8]

  Notes:

  [1] The purple rectangular stamp with “2459” written in the center is the seal of the Mandi Royal Collection. See curatorial notes titled “Hemla Ragaputra, folio from a Ragamala series," dated May 2019, pp. 139-140, copy in object file.

  See also email from Francesca Galloway to Debra Diamond, Curator for South and Southeast Asian Art, dated November 27, 2017. Galloway states that their “understanding is that the Chamba or Bilaspur album came from a German collector, an engineer working in Mandi in the 1960s. He acquired a large collection of paintings from the Mandi royal collection at that time. Paintings were also put into Sotheby's in around 1969 by the Mandi royal family and those paintings which remained unsold at auction were then also bought by this German collector." Galloway also states that, “The album was shown to Sam Fogg and I in around 2004 by a dealer based in North Germany. This dealer was unable to sell the album intact. He then split it up and sold around 40 paintings to Sam and I over a 5 year period. He acquired a large collection of paintings from the Mandi royal collection at that time. Paintings were also put into Sotheby's in around 1969 by the Mandi royal family and those paintings which remained unsold at auction were then also bought by this German collector. He has been selling material from his extensive Mandi collection at auction in Sotheby's New York and through dealers."

  [2] See email in note 1.

  [3] See curatorial notes in note 1. Further research needs to be conducted to identify the specific Sotheby’s sale. According to the 2019 curatorial notes, the Sotheby’s London catalogue for the December 17, 1969, sale lists a few Mandi paintings, but does not describe this painting. Curatorial staff were unable to find the 1969 Sotheby's New York catalogue that included Mandi Royal Collection paintings.

  [4] See curatorial notes in note 1.

  Since further research is required to identify the specific Sotheby’s sale, it is possible that this object could have been purchased by an unidentified individual at the Sotheby’s sale.

  [5] See email in note 1.

  [6] See note 1, email and curatorial notes. Sam Fogg is a dealer in London, England that specializes in art of the European Middle Ages with departments also focusing on Islamic and Indian art.

  Francesca Galloway is a dealer in London, England, specializing in Indian painting and textiles since the 1980s.

  [7] See curatorial note in note 1.

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim is collector and scholar in the field of Indian painting. Ms. Benkaim met her husband, Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), in the 1970s when she was the curator of Indian painting at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Ralph Benkaim was an entertainment lawyer from Los Angeles who started collecting Indian and Islamic art in 1961. The couple were married 1979 and together they amassed a collection of Indian paintings, which included examples from all genres. They collected objects for their collection through dealers and auctions. Objects from their collection may also be found in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Williams College Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, among others.

  [8] See “Appendix B Bill of Sale” and “Appendix C Donor Substantiation Letter,” dated January 2, 2018, copy in object file.

  Research updated January 31, 2023

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Francesca Galloway, Ltd. (established 1992)

  Catherine Glynn Benkaim

• Origin

  Chamba or Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh state, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1690s

• Name

  Galloway, Francesca Marigold, Benkaim, Catherine Glynn

• Place

  Bilaspur, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh state, India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, Ragamala, Woman

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings