Diwan Nawal Singh, Prime Minister of Datia
Terms of Use
Creative CommonsAt A Glance
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Period
ca. 1750 -
Geography
Datia, Madhya Pradesh state, India -
Material
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper -
Dimension
H x W (painting): 29.2 × 21.3 cm (11 1/2 × 8 3/8 in) -
Accession Number
S2018.1.19 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_S2018.1.19
Object Details
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School/Tradition
Datia school -
Description
Dressed in an ink blue jama and a rich orange turban with a matching wave-patterned (leheriya) sash (patka), Nawal Singh sits beneath a cool white canopy. An enormous amber-colored bolster with gold leaf-shaped motifs supports him. Suitable to his status, attendants wait on him and one waves a peacock feathered fly-whisk (morchal), a symbol of royalty. -
Inscriptions
An inscription at the top identifies Nawal Singh as a high-ranking civil officer (diwan). -
Provenance
From 1750 to ?The Maharaja of the princely State of Datia.To 1964Ray E. Lewis (1923-2005), San Francisco, California. [1]From 1964 to 2001Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), Beverly Hills, California, purchased from Ray E. Lewis in May 1964. [2]From 2001 to 2018Catherine Glynn Benkaim, Beverly Hills, California, by inheritance from Ralph Benkaim in 2001. [3]From 2018Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, partial gift and purchase from Catherine Glynn Benkaim. [4]Notes:[1] Ralph Benkaim purchased the painting in 1964 from R.E. Lewis, San Francisco, several years before Indian paintings were classified as antiquities by the Indian government, according to his personal records via Catherine Glynn Benkaim.[2] See note 1.[3] See note 1.[4] See Acquisition Consideration Form, object file, Collections Management Office. -
Collection
National Museum of Asian Art Collection -
Previous custodian or owner
Maharaja of Datia (active 18th century)Ray E. Lewis (1923-2005)Ralph and Catherine BenkaimCatherine Glynn Benkaim -
Origin
Datia, Madhya 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
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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