A LOOSE ILLUSTRATED FOLIO WITH THE QUEEN OF SHEBA AND KING SOLOMON IN CONVERSATION
Possibly Delhi School or Kashmir, Northern India, 19th century

Opaque pigments, white wash, and ink heightened in gold on wove paper, the vertical-format composition depicting a heated debate between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon seated on royal gem-studded gold thrones under a typical Mughal courtly tent setting in a lush and verdant garden, surrounded by numerous attendants holding fly-whisks, and bearing trays of precious goods and refreshments, set within black, gold, red and blue rules, and dense illuminated floral borders painted in polychromes, the recto featuring a large rectangular panel with four columns of eight squares, divided into blue and white triangles, in-filled with illuminated floral sprays, laid out to create charming geometric decorative motifs, set within similar concentric rules and borders of the verso, 28.5cm x 17.2cm.

Dimensions: 28.5cm x 17.2cm