IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: I have collected a lot of Chinese and Asian pieces over the years. I am not an expert on antique paintings or manuscripts. All details provided are based on the item's original documentation and my own observations and testing. Please review the high-resolution photos carefully to assess condition. Sold as-is — please do your own research to confirm age and authenticity.
Title: Elderly Dervish with Vessel, Mughal Revival Miniature, Lucknow/Delhi School, c. 1870–1900
Description: A late Mughal revivalist folio depicting an elderly traveler or dervish carrying a large vessel on his back, leaning on a staff, dressed in a rose-pink robe with a patterned sash. Delicate detailing, pastel background, and minimalistic landscape typical of Lucknow and Delhi ateliers of the period. A fine example of single-figure portraiture in the late Indo-Persian tradition.
Manuscript Context: The reverse bears Urdu printed text from a 19th-century moral or devotional work titled "Sālvān Bāb," narrating an allegory about a merchant's trials and divine fate. Reuse of a printed leaf indicates manuscript recycling practices prevalent in North India c. 1880–1900.
Dimensions: Approx. 15 × 25 cm
Origin: North India, Lucknow or Delhi, c. 1870–1900
Condition: Very good. Colors stable, fine detailing intact, minor age toning.