The Morning Toilette

1810–25

The Morning Toilette, 1810–25. Northern India, Himachal Pradesh, Pahari Kingdom of Chamba. Gum tempera and gold on paper; page: 26.5 x 18.6 cm (10 7/16 x 7 5/16 in.); image: 22.1 x 13.8 cm (8 11/16 x 5 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.115 A lady, dressed in white below the waist, admires herself in a mirror held by a handmaiden. Three other ladies attend to her toilette. She stands on a large wooden stool and raises her elbow high to adjust her earrings, providing the beholder with a glimpse of her round breasts. Ewers and water pots can be seen in the foreground. The costume of the handmaiden holding the mirror is inspired by older Chamba paintings.