A Begum
17th– 18th Century CE
TSM Accession: 2005-396
Pleach No: PIF/00DMP11
Title: A Begum
Style: Golconda School – Deccani Miniature
Artist: Unknown
Medium: Watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 16 x 11 cms
Period: 17th – 18th century CE
Rights: Telangana State Museum, Hyderabad
Documented by: Pleach India Foundation, Hyderabad
The painting offers a glimpse into women’s life during the Qutb Shahi era which was characterised by the extensive use of gold along with the dynamic flow of the figurative emotions and subtle color scheme.
This painting depicts a Begum seated in the posture of a Queen, with a maid standing in front of her. She has a hookah pot nearby and a pipe in one hand and with the other hand feeding a crow seated on the hand of the maid. This painting has typical features of the Golconda School, which are further supported by the accompanying Urdu Persian script.
