Krishna Seated with Attendant Gopis by a Lotus Pool ? Morchal (Peacock Fan) and Mirror ? Miniature on Reused Devanagari Ledger Leaf (Rajasthan, Jaipur/Kishangarh circle), c. 1860?1890

Krishna sits on a rock terrace beside a lotus pool as four gopis attend him: one waves a peacock-feather morchal, one presents a long-handled mirror, another gestures in conversation while the kneeling gopi listens. The deep night-green grove, stepped hill forms, and the domed pavilion in the background are hallmarks of late-19th-century Jaipur/Kishangarh work with Kangra lyricism. The calm exchange of glances and hands emphasizes bhakti intimacy rather than court spectacle. 2) Visual / Technical Description Medium: Opaque watercolor (gouache) with gold on paper. Borders: Triple yellow/red inner rules; outer brown field cut from a written sheet. Palette: Olive and bottle greens, saffron yellow, mauve, rose; Krishna rendered light blue with jeweled crown and halo. Iconography: Morchal (peacock fan), long-handled mirror (?yina), kneeling devotee, lotus-edged watercourse; domed pavilion and rampart at right. Stylistic notes: Clean contour drawing, stippled foliage masses, crisp textile patterns, and balanced grouping consistent with ca. 1860?90 Rajasthan workshops. 3) Material / Manuscript Context The support is a reused Devanagari account/ledger (kh?t?) leaf. Front margins and the full reverse show narrow vertical entries of names and rupee figures, many underlined, with common bookkeeping terms (jam? = credit, udh?r = loan, kharch = expense, his?b = balance). Pen-trial marks and occasional arithmetic at the lower edge match merchant-house practice in Rajasthan. 4) Condition (Summary) Front: minor perimeter wear; small abrasions and a nick at the top margin; pigments bright and stable. Reverse: scattered stains and toning; ink remains clear in most lines; several crossed-out entries; no tears through the painted field. 5) Provenance / Significance Jaipur/Kishangarh workshop production aimed at the bazaar market. The morchal and mirror props add courtly resonance and display value. 6) Translation & Analysis of Text (front margins & reverse, line-by-line) Script: Devanagari (vernacular Old Hindi/Marwari). Ink: brown-black. Layout: vertical columns separated by drawn rules; many entries end with a rupee figure that is underlined. Line Transliteration (visible fragment) English sense Confidence F-1 . kh?t? . ?Account / ledger? header Medium F-2 . r?piy? 25 . Amount: 25 rupees Medium F-3 . jam? . ?Credit / deposit? Medium F-4 . udh?r . ?On credit / loan? Medium F-5 . n?m likhyo . ?Name recorded/written? Low F-6 .-ji . Name with honorific -ji (surname unclear) Low F-7 .-l?l / -m?l . Name fragment ending -l?l or -m?l (typical Marwari names) Low F-8 .-r?m . Name fragment ending -r?m (e.g., Kanhaiy?r?m, Harir?m) Low F-9 .-d?s . Name fragment ending -d?s (e.g., Gop?ld?s) Low R-1 . 115 . Figure ?115? (likely an amount) Medium R-2 . 523 . Figure ?523? (underlined total) Low R-3 . r?piy? 12 1/2 . ?12½ rupees? (half-rupee noted) Medium R-4 . pr?pt . ?Received? Medium R-5 . kharch . ?Expense/outlay? Medium R-6 . his?b . ?Account/balance? Low R-7 . t?r?kh . [numerals abraded] Word ?date? present; numerals Low R-8 .-singh . Name fragment ending -singh Low R-9 .-chand . Name fragment ending -chand (e.g., Shy?mchand) Low R-10 . likhyo . ?written/entered by .? (scribe flourish) Low not legible Names & dates: Several common Marwari endings (-ji, -l?l/-m?l, -r?m, -d?s, -singh, -chand) appear as fragments; no single full surname is completely legible in the present images. No secure Gregorian year is present. Numbers that look like ?523? or ?115? read as running totals or amounts rather than dates. 7) Conclusion Attribution: Rajasthan, Jaipur/Kishangarh circle, c. 1860?1890. Subject: Krishna attended by gopis with morchal and mirror. Support: Reused Devanagari ledger leaf with accounting terms and rupee figures. Front inscription: none; visible writing belongs to the reused ledger. ESTIMATED VALUE Auction Estimate: $700 ? $1,400 USD Retail Range: $1,500.…