Album of portraits of Indian rulers

Details

Album of portraits of Indian rulers
Mughal, AH 1253/1837-8 AD

gouache heightened with gold, Persian manuscript on buff card, 25ff. plus two flyleaves, each alternate bifolio with finely and richly painted portraits of the Mughal rulers from Timur to Mirza Fakhr al-Din, son of Bahadur Shah II, each sitting on a throne with one or more attendants, usually in a pavillion, in gold and blue floral border between gold and polychrome rules, in a wide border of blue and gold inscription cartouches on a ground of gold, black and red scrolling flowering vine, the alternate bifolios with diagonal lines of black nasta'liq in plain clouds on gold ground within black ruled inner and outer margins, (negligible staining and wear), opening folio with title and date in blue and gold cartouches on scrolling flowering vine ground, following folio with illuminated heading and text in black and blue, final folio with a blue and white arabesque medallion on gold and polychrome scrolling vine ground, pale brown morocco and gold stamped binding (repaired)
miniature/text 7¾ x 5¾in. (19.8 x 14.6cm.)
folio 17¼ x 12in. (44 x 30.7cm.)

Lot Essay

The date on the opening folio now reads 1153 but has been tampered with.

A series of these albums appears to have been executed for presentation by the Emperor Bahadur Shah II. They were prepared under the supervision of Hakim Ahsanallah Khan Bayam. the Royal Physician, who was also in charge of publishing the emperor's poetry and of the royal painting department. Most are undated, so this is particularly interesting in putting a precise date of commission on the group. Two have been broken up, leaves of which have appeared on the market, while at least two further intact copies are known.

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