Ragini Todi, from a garland of musical modes (Ragamala) manuscript

Unknown (Indian)

Item type:

painting

Date of creation:

18th century

Height:

19.0 cm  (7 1/2 in.)

Width:

15.5 cm  (6 1/8 in.)

framed: 34.6 × 29.8 cm (13 5/8 × 11 3/4 in.)

Technique / Medium:

opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper

School:

Mughal

Description

From the museum website:
Since music is fundamental to the Ragamala, most compositions contain an allusion to music in the form of instruments played by the figures. In this painting of Ragini Todi, a woman plays a stringed instrument called a veena, the end of which is shaped like the head of a peacock. Her female attendants stand at a distance; they play a pair of clash cymbals known as manjira and a bowed instrument, probably the sarangi. The joyous mood of the painting is reflected in the blossoming lotuses that skirt the lake in the foreground and the flowering plants and animals that sway to the rhythm of the music. The vibrant foliage situates the painting in early spring, when this musical mode is performed.

Iconclass

48CC7521
one person playing string instrument (bowed) - CC- out of doors
48CC7522
one person playing string instrument (plucked) - CC - out of doors
48CC7524
one person playing percussion instrument - CC - out of doors

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Vina [3708]
Manjira [2478]
Sarangi [3204] (with bow)

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 1

Notes

India, Mughal dynasty (1526–1857)

RIdIM record id

6198