Vilaval Ragini, illustration from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) Series

In the poetry accompanying the Vilaval Ragini, it describes a young heroine (nayika) preparing to meet her lover. She is commonly shown looking into the mirror as she puts on her jewelry. In this painting, she sits on a daybed putting on her earrings while a female attendant holds up a mirror for her. Two other female attendants are present, one holds up a fly whisk behind the heroine and the other peers at the scene from behind a door. This painting is a pictorial metaphor for a raga, a musical phrase that is used as the basis for improvisation. Rajput, Rajasthani, Mewar School.