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Court lady singing and playing the vina (recto)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Her mouth open slightly in song, the woman’s hennaed fingers strum a three-string vina, an Indian musical instrument with a resonator made from a gourd. Music was an essential component of courtly entertainment, along with the drinking of wine and the appreciation of poetry, paintings, and jewels.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineCourt lady singing and playing the vina (recto), c. 1760. India, Lucknow, Mughal, 18th century. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; miniature: 21.6 x 16.8 cm (8 1/2 x 6 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, 2013.349.a
