The generic king in this stock poetical scene is shown with the facial features of Maharaja Anup Singh of Bikaner (reigned 1638–93). Sharing a bottle of wine, the royal couple enjoy the performance of a musician playing a vina and the horse-headed divinity Tumbaru on the cymbals. Tumbaru is a divinity who has the power to increase the prosperity of the realm.
This page is from a series that was made on the occasion of Diwali, the Hindu New Year and festival of lights.
(Text courtesy of The Cleveland Museum of Art).
