Indus Valley Etched Orange Carnelian Bead Necklace String

Rectangular card with inked border and reveal, liquid gold border with flower and tendril motif to each corner; detailed scene with a princess in the foreground advancing left but looking right towards three peacocks following her; in each of her hands a cord with a bell; waterway extending from centre to right edge and returning across lower edge, with waterlilies and other vegetation, swans (right) and ducks (top); to the rear, a group of trees, and another at right beyond the waterway; at the middle top, trees, rocky hills and a city in the distance; liquid gold to the princess's outer garments, black ink outline to her hair and face. 19 grams, 26.2 x 21 cm



Acquired on the UK art market. Scottish private collection.

Both framed and glazed with information cards to the reverses: a Northern Indian Mughal Qur'an leaf dated 1780 A.D., with prayers copied from Mulla Fathullah's Tafsir commentary in Naskh script, interlinear Persian translation throughout in red Nasta'liq in the margins, together with illuminated devices, with gold embellishment; an illuminated manuscript from a Dala'il prayer book, written in Naskh script framed by golden clouds, central borders of meandering vines; each with explanatory label to reverse of frame. 1 kg total, 28.7 x 23.5 cm each



Acquired by the vendor's father on the UK art market, before 1990.

Carved corbel or column fragment with scrolled foliage to three faces and socket to upper face to accept a statue; three youthful figures - two females flanking a larger male - each wearing the hair dressed in a topknot, with radiating sunburst behind them and below a team of two horses galloping left with empty saddles and their reins flung back towards the central character, probably a charioteer. 13.3 kg, 37 cm wide



London, UK, collection, 1990s.