{"product_id":"old-reverse-glass-painting-circa-1940s","title":"Reverse Glass Painting of a Sikh Nobleman – Late 19th Century","description":"\u003cp\u003eA remarkable \u003cstrong\u003ereverse glass painting depicting an armoured Sikh nobleman\u003c\/strong\u003e, most likely \u003cstrong\u003eMaharajah Sher Singh\u003c\/strong\u003e or \u003cstrong\u003eRajah Lal Singh\u003c\/strong\u003e, shown brandishing a sword. Executed in \u003cstrong\u003egouache and gold on glass\u003c\/strong\u003e, the portrait captures the resolute dignity of the Sikh court during the final decades of the nineteenth century, its brilliance preserved through the luminous medium of glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work draws inspiration from celebrated portraits such as \u003cstrong\u003eSchoefft’s oil of Maharajah Sher Singh (1841–42)\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eImam Bakhsh Lahori’s depiction of Rajah Lal Singh (c. 1845–46)\u003c\/strong\u003e—both showing their subjects in armour, sword raised, and cuirass emblazoned with a coat of arms. The artist of this later glass version transposed that imagery into the delicate \u003cstrong\u003ereverse-painting technique\u003c\/strong\u003e, a practice prized across India for its jewel-like translucency and association with regal display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e India\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Late 19th Century\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMedium:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gouache and gold on glass (reverse-painted)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSubject:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sikh nobleman, probably Maharajah Sher Singh or Rajah Lal Singh\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reverse painting on glass — the image painted in reverse on the back of a glass sheet, viewed from the front through the glass surface\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComparative Reference:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sotheby’s New York, \u003cem\u003eIndian, Himalayan, Southeast Asian Art and Indian Miniatures\u003c\/em\u003e, 20–21 Sept 1985, lot 466\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuction Reference:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bonhams London, \u003cem\u003eIslamic \u0026amp; Indian Art\u003c\/em\u003e, 12 Nov 2025, Lot 230\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Width 40 × Height 54 cm (including frame)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis elegant example reflects both the \u003cstrong\u003ecourtly grandeur of Sikh portraiture\u003c\/strong\u003e and the \u003cstrong\u003ecross-cultural artistry\u003c\/strong\u003e of reverse glass painting—an art form whose lineage reaches back to \u003cstrong\u003e18th-century Chinese “back-painting”\u003c\/strong\u003e admired by European travellers such as the Jesuit Amiot (1786). Originating from China’s inventive response to the challenges of the export trade with Europe, the technique found fertile ground in India, where painters adapted it to depict nobles, deities, and historic rulers in glowing, mirrored splendour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Width 40 × Height 54 cm (including frame)\u003cbr\u003eGouache and gold on glass\u003cbr\u003eIndia, late 19th Century\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BinderKing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53551606792501,"sku":"A3115","price":613.05,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1012\/5243\/2181\/files\/A3115_66b47042-7bfe-452e-8b56-f605692fd702.jpg?v=1789233959","url":"https:\/\/binderking.shop\/products\/old-reverse-glass-painting-circa-1940s","provider":"BinderKing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}