A princess reclining on a terrace with attendants c. 1730-1740 India, Mughal, 18th century Opaque watercolor and gold on paper Page: 20.6 x 30.6 cm (8 1/8 x 12 1/16 in.) 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 2013.338 DID YOU KNOW? White is the color worn by widows. DESCRIPTION This scene presents an idealized view of the life of a Mughal princess. Bejeweled and dressed in costly garments, she reclines on a couch set up on a white marble terrace. She watches two musicians sing and clap time, and a companion pours for her a cup of liquor. Two attendants stand behind, one waving a whisk to keep away the insects and another holding a box of paan, a betel-leaf preparation for freshening the breath. At the far right an older woman of the harem holds a fan while enjoying a hookah. PROVENANCE Sotheby’s, London, Important Western and Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures, 11 April 1961, lot 35 Collection of Prince Michael Radziwill (b. 1907), London Christie’s, London, Art and Textiles of the Islamic and Indian World, 7 October 2011, lot 391 Ramesh Kapoor, New York, until March 2012 EXHIBITION HISTORY The Cleveland Museum of Art (7/31/2016-10/23/2016); Art and Stories from Mughal India, cat. 77, p. 297. Art and Stories from Mughal India. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (July 31-October 23, 2016).