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A Lady Playing the Tanpura

ca. 1735
Not on view
As a nayika (archetypal heroine), this figure personifies the ideal of feminine beauty as conceptualized in Indian devotional poetry of the period. She strums a tanpura and wears elaborate jewelry and sheer textiles, clearly placing her as a member of the court. At the same time, there is the allusion that she is Radha, the divine consort of Krishna, who was important to these Kishangarh patrons.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: A Lady Playing the Tanpura
  • Date: ca. 1735
  • Culture: India (Rajasthan, Kishangarh)
  • Medium: Ink, opaque and transparent watercolor, and gold on paper
  • Dimensions: 18 1/2 x 13 1/4 in. (47 x 33.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1996
  • Object Number: 1996.100.1
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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A Lady Playing the Tanpura - India (Rajasthan, Kishangarh) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art