Court and Courtship: Indian Miniatures in the TAPI Collection is
a study of Indian paintings in which the author J.P. Losty explores the
well-trod highways and the lesser-known byways of miniature paintings, put
together by the well-known textile collectors, Praful and Shilpa Shah.
Starting with a splendid 16th-century painting from the early
Rajput Bhagvata Purana, readers will savour the variety of Mughal
and other portraits of emperors, princes, courtiers, and of royal elephants and
horses. Courtly pictures include several from the Deccan, Rajasthan, Central
India, and the northern hills. Resplendent ladies in 18th and 19th-century
attire adorn the pages, as do paintings acquired for the textiles and costumes
they illustrate–jamas, paijamas, angarkhas, turbans, odhnis, patkas,
canopies, and qanats.
Representing the classic texts of Sanskrit and Hindi literature
are stunning examples from a 17th-century ragamala, the Shangri
Ramayana, the Gita Govinda, Harivamsha, and Rasikapriya.
Two of the most impressive paintings ever to come out of Nathdwara are featured
here, from the hands of master artists Sukhdev Gaur and Ghasiram Sharma.
Showcasing 90 superb images, this collection is sure to be of interest to
lovers of Indian art.