Gujarati Painting of 16th 17th Century

Author(s): Lalit Kumar
Publisher: Z_Nirgrantha_1_022701.pdf and Nirgrantha_2_022702.pdf and Nirgrantha_3_022703.pdf

Page 10

Vol. 1-1995
Gujarati Painting of...
101
Muscum, Zurich. Such horses are generally not met with in the paintings from Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. With this point in view, I am inclined to attribute the Kalakācārya Katha of A. D. 1414, in the P. C. Jain Collection, Bombay", 10 Mandu. The Kalakācarya Kathā dated A. D. 1414" and the Zurich Shah Nämä of c. A. D. 1450", also have two more features of considerable importance, namely floral decoration on the back of Shāhi's throne and braid or chain motifs. Both are Persian elements and should have been adopted from a cominon source. Thus, if we reckon the chain or braid motif and horse type as the regional character of the works executed in Malwa region, then it would be easy to suggest the provenance of a highly controversial but a small group of the 15th century paintings, namely the Berlin Candäyana and the Candāyana of Bharat kala Bhavan, the lost Sikandar Nama and the Berlin Hamzā Nāmā, to Malwa. Anand Krishna has already suggested the provenance of the Berlin Candāyana as Malwa". But there are some scholars who attribute the Berlin Candāyana to Delhi region". However, Karl Khandalavala rules out all such possibilities. Ile maintains that the Berlin Candāyana alongwith other documents of this group, should hail from Eastern India and in all probability from Jaunpur, especially the Candāyana because in his opinion this ballad was not known in any other region. But mention may be made that the Mandu type of horses are not seen in any of the documents attributed to north India such as the Aryanyaka parva dated A. D. 1516, the Mahapurana of A. D. 1540, the Mrgavata dated to c. A. D. 1570, and all other documents of the Caurapancasika group of paintings. Therefore, the Berlin Candāyana and the Bharat Kala Bhavan Candāyana, the lost Sikandar Nama, and the Berlin Hamzā Nämā should be attributed to the Malwa region.
Notes and References:
1. Anand Krishna considers the turning of the face in strict profile as the beginning of the
Rajasthani painting. "Some pre-Akbari Examples of Rajasthani Illustrations," Marg, XI/2,18. 2. Almost all the documents showing the early developments of the new style are Jaina and
therefore the parental nomenclature of the style has been adhered to with a prefix "Neo"
to differentiate the new style from the older one. 3. Karl Khandalavala, "Leaves from Rajasthan," Marg, IV/3, Bombay 1950, 16 17. 4. Ibid., 8! 5. Karl Khandalavala, "The Origin and Development of Rajasthani Painting," Marg, XI/
2, 12; also see Moti Chandra and U. P. Shah, New Documents of Jaina Painting,
Bombay 1978, 27-28. 6. Chandra and shah, NDJP, figs. 44-46."* "
. 7. Karl Khandalavala and Mori Chandra, New Documents of Indian Painting - A Reappraisal,
Bombay 1978, 98. 8. J. P. Losty, "Some Olustrated Jaina Manuscripts," The British Library Journal, 1/2, London
1975, 155-56, Figs. 19-20. 9. B. N. Goswami, A Jainesque Sultanate Shāh Nami and the context of Pre-Mughal Painting in
India, Zurich 1988. 10. J. P. Losty, The Art of the Book in India, London 1982, 66.