Painted Indian miniature cabinet - Maharaja hunting scenes, North India, 19th century

"A king is king only through hunting, love and storytelling".
Mughal proverb reconstructed from a Padshahnama chronicle.

Small Indian hand-painted armoire, in natural wood covered with old polychromy, dated to the first half of the 19th century (circa 1820-1850), probably from Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh.
This charming miniature piece of furniture opens to reveal three interior shelves, completed by a drawer at the bottom. The uprights, cornices, moldings and scalloped contours are painted in a weathered vermilion red, contrasting with the dark backgrounds that host a vibrant narrative decoration.
Each side is animated by finely executed hunting scenes: noble horsemen and prince-maharajas armed with bows, swords or spears confront tigers and gazelles in a stylized forest, typical of the Rajput imagination. Their jeweled turbans, embroidered tunics and pearl necklaces identify these figures as high dignitaries or members of the warrior elite.
The painting, naïve in its proportions but highly expressive, evokes the popular dimension of Indian miniature: each face is a painting, each facade a mute legend.

It could have housed the perfumes and secret letters of a Mughal prince. Today, it still holds the memory of an empire, between sacred hunt and theater of passions.
Wear, a missing pediment return, crazing, slight loss of material and traces of old handling bear witness to an authentic age and a life well lived. The original clasp is still present, albeit rusty.
Dimensions :
Height: 49 cm
Width: 27.5 cm
Depth: 12.5 cm

Ref: MF9Y2W8UHF