India, Rajasthan. Opaque pigments and gold on cloth. Mounted on a jute frame. Finely painted with Shri Nathji inin his shrine at Nathdwara in Rajasthan, surrounded by smaller depictions of the deity, above a mound of rice and other offerings, flanked by numerous priests and worshippers, framed by twenty-six small panels depicting various scenes of veneration above a band of Nandi bulls, within a border of leafy floral scroll.

Provenance: From a private collection in Zagreb, Croatia.
Condition: Wear, creasing, losses, light fading, little soiling, small tears. Overall presenting well.

Dimensions: Image size 163 x 133 cm, Size incl. frame 178 x 145 cm

This colourful picchvai depicts the sanctum of the Shri Nathji temple in Nathdwara, during the festival of Annakuta, also known as Govardhana Puja, which is celebrated during the month of Kartika (between October and November), on the day after Diwali. It commemorates the offering by the villagers of Vraj of their harvest to mount Govardhan, as suggested by Krishna. Annakuta is the largest annual festival, with pilgrims bringing the result of their harvest to the temple. A mountain of rice is presented to Shri Nathji, visible here at his feet, with other offerings in bowls. Women wearing colorful veils are kneeling at either side of the icon.

The painting is a backdrop for an idol of Shri Nathji, an image (nidhi-svarup) of the Lord Krishna. These textiles are typically hung in the temple of the Pushtimarg sect in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, where the large Shri Nathji temple is located. The textiles were often created as a matched set that would cover the walls and the ceiling of the sanctum. Beyond Nathdwara, Shri Nathji holds special significance in Kota after Maharao Bhim Singh became a follower in 1719.

Damodarji II, the principal priest at Nathdwara from 1797-1826, is portrayed worshipping Shri Nathji. The ceremony also commemorates the Sapta Swarupotsava or incorporation of all the seven major idols of Shri Nathji within the main shrine at Nathdwara, which are shown around the principal deity in the painting.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related picchvai depicting the same subject, dated ca. 1870-1880, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, accession number S1992.34. Compare a closely related picchvai depicting the same subject, illustrated in Amit Ambalal, Krishna as Shrinathji, 1987, p. 66.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 18 March 2017, lot 1198
Price: USD 6,000 or approx. EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Picchavai depicting Srinathji being worshipped during the festival of Annakut, India, Nathdwara, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the identical subject and closely related manner of painting. Note the related size (167 x 127 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's London, 26 April 2023, lot 72
Estimate: GBP 7,000 or approx. EUR 8,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Annakuta Pichhavai, India, Rajasthan, Nathdwara, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the identical subject and closely related manner of painting. Note the size (165 x 193 cm).