Eastern Persia, circa 1575
Opaque pigments with gold on paper, with gold-sprinkled inner margin ruled in gold and black, laid down in a pale green album page with gilt foliage, backed on card
6 1/5 by 3 ½ in., 15.5 by 8.8 cm. painting
12 1/3 by 7 4/5 in., 31.3 by 19.9 cm. folio
In a specific genre of painting in Iran that started under the Safavids in the sixteenth century and continued into the seventeenth, there was a vogue for depicting wistful love-struck youths. This is a rare example of one dating from 1575 and was formerly in the Sevadjian collection, Paris, where it was sold at Hotel Drouot in 1960. The style of this painting harks back to the mid-sixteenth century, for instance in ‘Self-portrait of Mir Sayyid ‘Ali, circa 1540, in the Sackler Gallery, Washington, see Seyller, p.305, no.269.
The painting is thought to come from an album (muraqqa) from which three paintings are now in the Louvre, Paris.
Leaf of calligraphy from Jami’s “Yusuf and Zuleika”
By Mohammed ibn Ishan el-Shihabi
Qasvin, Persia
Manuscript dated A.H. 964 / 1557-8 A.D.
Ink and pigments with gold on paper
5 5/8 by 2 5/8 in., 14.2 by 6.7 cm. calligraphy
10 by 5 7/8 in., 25.5 by 15 cm. folio
Safavid Persia, first half of the seventeenth century
Opaque pigments with gold on paper, laid down in a (reduced) gilt-splashed album page, pasted down on card
3 3/4 by 7 ¼ in., 9.5 by 18.5cm. painting
5 1/4 by 8 5/8 in., 13.5 by 22cm. folio
By or in the manner of Muhammad Zaman
Persia, dated A.H. 1076 / 1665-66 A.D.
Ink and opaque pigments on vellum and paper, laid down in an album page with a blue and white floral margin
6 by 8 1/8 in., 15.2 by 20.5 cm. painting
14 1/2 by 20 in., 36.7 by 51 cm. folio
Krishna arriving to visit Radha in a palace courtyard
Bikaner, Rajasthan, early eighteenth century
Opaque pigments with gold on paper, laid down in an album page
7 ¼ by 3 3/8 in., 18.4 by 8.5 cm. painting
15 1/8 by 11 3/8 in., 39.6 by 29 cm. folio
Sawar, Rajasthan, early eighteenth century
Brush drawing in black ink on a yellow ground, heightened in orange, white and green, wasli laid down on paper
13 1/3 by 17 in., 34 by 43.3 cm. painting
13 4/5 by 17 1/5 in., 35.1 by 43.5 cm. folio
In this large and extraordinarily energetic drawing, a bull elephant scrolls his trunk to snap a leafy bough from the pipal tree to which he is tethered. By the powerful use of contours, parallel lines, concentric semi-circles and darkened joints, the artist conveys a sense of the elephant’s volume and, with his raised left foot, flapping ears and swishing tail, the nervous energy of the tethered animal.
Exhibited and Published
Falk, T., ed., Elephants of fame and other animals in Indian Painting, Indar Pasricha Fine Arts, London, 1987-88, illustrated on cover and pp.7 & 11
Hodgkin, H. and McInerney, T., Indian Drawing: An exhibition chosen by Howard Hodgkin, Hayward Gallery, London, 1983, no.24
Male rose-coloured starling (Sturnus Roseus) perched on the branch of a fig tree (Ficus Carica)
Lucknow or Calcutta, circa 1775-85
Pencil, pen with watercolour and bodycolour and gum arabic on paper, the foreground with Persian and English inscriptions in ink, on laid English paper, watermark unclear
18 by 11 in., 45.7 by 27.9 cm.
Jaipur, Rajasthan, circa 1780-1800
Opaque pigments on paper with gold
9 by 13 2/3 in., 23 by 34.7 cm. painting
11 5/6 by 15 in., 30.2 by 38.2 cm. folio
Folio from the Balakanda of a Ramayana (Ramacharitmanas) series
Attributed to Purkhu of Kangra
Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, circa 1800-1815
Opaque pigments with gold on paper, the blue margin with gilt foliate motifs, pink sprinkled border ruled in red, black and gold
9 ¼ by 13 ¾ in., 23.5 by 35 cm. painting
11 by 15 2/5 in., 28 by 39.2 cm. folio
Animals, Birds and Portraits: Works on Paper from India and Persia
March 13 – 21, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 13, 5-8pm
Exhibiting at: 67 East 80th Street, Suite 2 Asia Week Hours: March 13-14 & 17-21, 10am-6pm; March 15-16, 11am-5pm (otherwise by appointment)
In our sixteenth year exhibiting at Asia Week New York, we are delighted to showcase forty-three exquisite court paintings from India and Persia. Among the highlights is A portrait of a reclining beauty, a captivating Persian interpretation of the Renaissance tradition of the reclining female nude, as depicted by Raphael and Raimondi. This exceptional work comes from the collection of the late Pierre Le-Tan (1950–2019), the late artist/illustrator famous for his New Yorker covers.
Another standout is Pensive youth in a garden, a rare painting of a wistful, love-struck youth—an artistic genre that flourished in Iran under the Safavids in the 16th century and continued into the 17th. Dating from 1575, this fine work was formerly in the Sevadjian collection, Paris, where it was sold at Hotel Drouot in 1960.
We look forward to welcoming you to our exhibition!
Our Collection
We are pleased to present our collection of fine works from the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas and South-East Asia, covering pieces from the Buddhist and Hindu dynasties to the Mughals, with a special emphasis on Indian and Islamic miniature painting and manuscripts.
To view these pieces and more in our online catalogs, click here.
About the Gallery
We are a London and New York based firm of independent art dealers, founded in 1998.
The principals are Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch, former directors of the Antiquities and Islamic and Indian Art departments at Sotheby’s, London. Our professional expertise encompasses Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Islamic art. We also specialize in the art of the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas and South-East Asia, covering works from the Buddhist and Hindu dynasties to the Mughals, with a special emphasis on Indian and Islamic miniature painting and manuscripts.
Working with collectors, museums and galleries around the world, we act as agents for both vendors and purchasers, and advise on the best method of selling works of art, whether by private sale or at auction. Our many years’ experience of the acquisition process, and longstanding relationships with curators and collectors, helps us to ensure every transaction runs efficiently.
