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Mughal. Lady with a Yo-yo, ca. 1770. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, sheet: 9 1/4 x 6 3/16 in. (23.5 x 15.7 cm)
image: 8 3/8 x 5 1/4 in. (21.3 x 13.3 cm). Gift of Alan Kirschbaum, 80.268.1. No known copyright restrictions.
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.