Krishna on a Swing with Female Attendant, North India c. 1880-1890, Painted on Reused Devanagari Manuscript Leaf Anonymous

Artistic Context & Overview A late 19th-century Indian miniature showing Krishna seated on a forest swing, attended by a woman with a cup, before a lotus pond and lush garden. Executed in opaque watercolor and gold on a reused manuscript leaf. Visual/Technical Description Krishna's blue skin and courtly attire are rendered in fine detail, with gold accents and Persianate floral borders. The upper and lower painting edges bear Persian/Urdu poetic verse in Nastaliq. Material/Manuscript Context Front: Persian/Urdu poetic verse above and below the scene. Reverse: Devanagari columns with figures, likely account tallies or household calculations, not narrative or poetry. No clear date or name. Condition (Summary) Paint strong, gold bright, manuscript robust. No tears or major repairs, minor corner wear. Provenance / Significance Produced in a North Indian atelier for devotional or collector markets. Hybrid nature (Krishna iconography with Persian manuscript and Devanagari reverse) increases scholarly and collectible value. Translation & Analysis (front and reverse) Front (Nastaliq poetic verse, line-by-line): Top panel: 1. O beautiful, the festival of spring is in your presence, 2. With your laughter, the forest is made alive, 3. Every glance from your eyes is a new beginning, 4. The heart's garden blooms with your coming. Bottom panel: 1. On the swing, the world itself turns, 2. O friend, this is the hour of union, 3. Let the wine of love fill our cups, 4. In this embrace, every sorrow is forgotten. Reverse (Devanagari): Multiple columns of numbers and account entries, no clear name or date. Content is bookkeeping/accounting, not literary. Conclusion A fine 19th-century miniature of Krishna on a swing, painted on reused manuscript leaf with Devanagari calculations. A beautiful hybrid artifact, highly collectible. Value $1,250.