Vernissage
Court Lady Pouring Wine (recto)

Muhammad Rizavi Hindi

Indian, active mid-1700s

Court Lady Pouring Wine (recto), c. 1760

Gum tempera and gold on paper

20.6 × 14.6 cm (8 × 5 ¾ in.)

The Cleveland Museum of Art
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

The artist has depicted a glass or crystal duck-headed decanter adorned with a gilded grapevine motif, signaling the contents. The red wine flows from the duck’s mouth into a tiny cup. Such bird-shaped wine vessels are vestiges of the blood sacrifices once part of ancient Persian court rituals. On the verso, floral sprigs illuminate the central calligraphic work, and paired verses have been written in smaller script all around the border. On this page, all the verses are about the beauty of—and longing for—the beloved.

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Posthumous portrait of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah (reigned 1719–1748) holding a falcon (recto); Calligraphy (verso)
Court lady singing and playing the vina
Court lady singing and playing the vina (recto)
Posthumous portrait of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah (reigned 1719–1748) holding a falcon (recto)
A night scene of Shiva puja (recto); Calligraphy (verso)