A COMPLETE SET OF BARAMASA (TWELVE MONTHS) ILLUSTRATIONS Bikaner, Rajasthan, North West India, mid 18th century  Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, each depicting a month of the year, with a nobleman and his lover engaged in various courtly pastimes, with 4ll. of Devanagari script in red and black ink in the text panel above identifying and describing each month and scene, mounted, framed and glazed, 36cm x 25.4cm including the frame.  The term Baramasa literally translates to 'Twelve Months', so the aim of these paintings is to provide the beholder with a complete set of monthly activities and attributes. The composition of these paintings is typical of a number of Bikaner Baramasa series, including one that sold at Christie's Mumbai, 18th December 2016, Lot 28; one in the Stuart Cary Welch Collection, sold at Sotheby's London, 31st May 2011, Lot 17; and one at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv. no. IS.32-1980). In the 18th century, the style of Bikaner had moved away from the Mughal standards and a more prominent influence from the Rajput schools became evident. The strong yellow inscription panel at the top, the immediacy but also the stylised idealisation of the depiction and the strength of the colouring are all elements consistent with this transition.