Miniature paintings

[Atalaya]

Can anyone tell me more about these miniature paintings?

Got them from a fleamarket a while ago. I guess they are modern reproductions, but where are the originals from?

Persia? India? Why does the protagonist has a halo in two of them? And what is the meaning of the scenes with haloed figure? The other two are obviously private scenes.

Thanks in advance,
Iannis

[JMP]

Hallo Atalaya,

I bought one like these myself, 40 years ago in Jaipur (Rajastan, India). I was told it was painted on ivory and it was not cheap. For the rest, I was young and did not ask to much explanation.
Now, I looked them up on the www and like you can read in the comment, they say today it is painted on "synthetic" ivory. All I could tell you more would be found on the web and you can find that yourself under: "Indian miniature paintings on ivory".

[Atalaya]

Hello JMP,

thank you, I remember similar errors from my earlier years and ‐ sometimes - I am still prone to it.   

However, Mughal it is. Mine are on paper. Even though one has some small holes resembling damage by an insect infestation, their overall appearance is new and not a few hundred years old. They are properly framed (modern), so I could not inspect the backsides.

Still I am interested in the motives. Harem is easy enough, but the other miniatures? "the procession of the wooden chest" or "the smelling of the flower"? Certainly not, but what else?

[JMP]

Hello,
I do not consider this as an "error from my earlier years".
I am still very happy with this souvenir, which was not bought on the street but in the historical Bissau Palace, now Hotel.

[Atalaya]

I am sorry then to have misunderstood you.

What makes you think then, that your piece is also made from artificial ivory and not from genuine?

[JMP]

I did not say that.
The fact is that TODAY you cannot sell or buy ivory in Europe anymore, so if those miniatures on the www are for sale, they'd better be painted on "synthetic" ivory. To be honest, I do not know how it was forthy years ago, if todays rules on ivory were already in force in that time. But nevertheless, the synthetic ivory is not meant to cheat someone with and it makes those little pieces of traditional art not worthless.