Arkivism
Raja Bikram Singh of Guler smoking a hookah
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Raja Bikram Singh of Guler smoking a hookah

c. 1678–90 · gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

The portrait of Raja Bikram Singh is the earliest depiction of a Guler chief and was produced in Chamba, possibly under the patronage of Raja Chattar Singh (r. 1664–90). The painting bears several features of early portraiture in Chamba—a straight Hookah pipe, striped trousers, large bolsters, and the sitting posture of the raja.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineRaja Bikram Singh of Guler smoking a hookah, c. 1678–90. Northern India, Pahari kingdoms, Himachal Pradesh. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; page: 21.7 x 28.8 cm (8 9/16 x 11 5/16 in.); image: 17.2 x 24.4 cm (6 3/4 x 9 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2018.89
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