Harvard Art Museums > 1984.531: Ruler and His Court watching a Nautch Dancer and Musicians Drawings Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Ruler and His Court watching a Nautch Dancer and Musicians , 1984.531,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 04, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/216212. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1984.531 Title Ruler and His Court watching a Nautch Dancer and Musicians Classification Drawings Work Type drawing Date 19th century Places Creation Place: South Asia, India, Delhi Period British period Culture Indian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/216212 Physical Descriptions Medium Ink on paper Technique Brushwork Dimensions 32 x 24.8 cm (12 5/8 x 9 3/4 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Philip Hofer Accession Year 1984 Object Number 1984.531 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description The drawing depicts an enthroned ruler at the top center of the image under an awning. He wears a turban with ornaments that signify his royal status and has a large, black shield (dhal) in front of him. Behind him are three attendants, one of which holds a flywhisk over his shoulder, which also denotes the ruler’s status. At the center of the image is a young Nautch girl. Nautch (“dance”, “dancing”) is one of the several styles of popular dancing in North Indian performed by young women. She is accompanied by a group of male musicians. Flanking them is a row of courtiers. Publication History Dr. Forrest McGill, ed., Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in the Arts of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayan Region, exh. cat., Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (San Francisco, 2022), p. 83, fig. 9; p. 217, cat. 92 Exhibition History Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art, Cincinnati Art Museum, 11/11/2022 - 02/05/2023; Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 03/31/2023 - 07/10/2023 Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu