
May one see it?
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
This is an illustration to the musical phrase Asavari Ragini. Played in the early morning, the music is reminiscent of a snake charmer’s melody and evokes a sense of melancholy felt in the separation of a lover from their beloved. Pictorial metaphors for the melody usually depict a dark-skinned tribal woman wearing a skirt of leaves. Here she charms the snakes by playing a pungi or wind instrument.
Victoria and Albert Museum