LUCKNOW, PROVINCIAL MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1760; THE CALLIGRAPHY, SIGNED MUHAMMAD MURAD, INDIA, MID-18TH CENTURY

This album page bears a note by Polier describing the painting scene and the number 28. The previous page of this album which also bears a hand-written note by Polier and was numbered 27, sold at Christie's, London, 25 May 2017, lot 98. The French inscriptions only appear between 1767-68, after which time Polier began to annotate his albums in Hindi and Urdu, which he learned while at court. For Polier albums with inscriptions in the same hand, see R. Hickman & Enderlein, Indische Albumblatte, Leipzig, 1979, cat. nos. 1, 11, 21, 39, 43 and 51. For a detailed note on Polier see the introduction, before lot 21.

The reverse of this folio bears the Nada ‘Ali prayer and is signed by Mohammad Murad, who was a student of Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri, a master of nasta’liq. The Royal Collection also houses a calligraphy panel by Muhammad Murad (inv. non. RCIN 1005066).