Lady with a Yo-yo

ca. 1770

This painting belongs to the extensive genre of paintings depicting lonely women who must amuse themselves while their lovers are away. It shows a woman playing with a string toy that is similar, but not identical, to a Western yo-yo. She stands on a low stool, which serves as a pedestal, inviting us to admire the beauty of the subject. The servant standing behind her is probably a woman (judging by the thin veil over her shoulders and her hennaed feet), although she is dressed in the turban and long coat (jama) of a man. She holds a peacock-feather fan that she can use to create breezes as well as to shoo away insects.