2009.202.173: A Barber and His Client

Identification and Creation

Object Number

2009.202.173

Title

A Barber and His Client

Classification

Drawings

Work Type

drawing

Date

18th century

Places

Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan

Culture

Indian

Persistent Link

https://hvrd.art/o/217265

Physical Descriptions

Medium

Ink and opaque watercolor on paper; Rajput Style

Dimensions

13.4 x 8.8 cm (5 1/4 x 3 7/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History

Stuart Cary Welch (by 1973 - 2008,) by descent; to his estate (2008-2009,) gift; to Harvard Art Museum.

Notes:
Object was part of temporary loan to Museum in 1973.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Stuart Cary Welch Collection, Gift of Edith I. Welch in memory of Stuart Cary Welch

Accession Year

2009

Object Number

2009.202.173

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Contact

am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

Permissions

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Descriptions

Description

The depiction shows a barber trimming the mustache of his client. The barber, seated on the right, wears a turban, a long robe (jama), and a waist sash (patka). His right hand delicately holds the bridge of his client’s nose, while he plucks the mustache of his client with a pair of tweezers in his left hand. In fron of him is a box of tools, a small cup, and a round, silvered mirror with a handle. The client wears a turban, a long robe, and a waist sash. While his left hand sits on his lap, his right hand holds up the end of his scarf to his upper lip. In the bottom right corner are swirls and scribbles, signifying the artist testing strokes as well as adjusting the amount of pigment held in the brushes. Rajput style.

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