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Lot Essay
This detailed court scene of a ruler taking petitions is a composition typical of Mughal illustrations of the late Akbar period. Parallels can be found in the imperial Akbarnama dated to circa 1590-95 in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. One such painting shows the marriage festival of Akbar's foster-brother (IS.2:8-1896). That painting, which features a similarly striking blue carpet, shows the emperor enthroned and receiving guests. The inscription above our painting identifies the ruler as Jahangir, however the figure is much closer in appearance to the very youthful Akbar in the marriage festival although this likeness is not particularly close either. Another similar scene of an enthroned ruler receiving a petition was sold at Sotheby's, London, 23 October 2024, lot 160.
The calligraphy on the reverse is a prophetic tradition in praise of Imam ‘Ali ibn. Abi Talib with a Persian translation, signed by Ahmad al-Husayni al-Mashhadi. Born in Mashhad, Ahmad al-Husayni al-Mashhadi studied under Mir 'Ali Haravi and followed him from Herat to Bukhara in 1528. He returned to Mashhad in 1550 before going on to find employment and favour at the court of Shah Tahmasp in Qazvin. Despite retiring back to Mashhad as a teacher, his state stipend was taken away and he was forced to find employment again, first in Mazandaran and then at the court of Shah Isma'il II. He is recorded as dying in AH 986 (1578-79 AD) in Mazandaran (Will Kwiatkowski, Legacy of the Masters, London, 2019, p. 31). Three nasta‘liq calligraphies by him are part of the Read Albums in the Pierpoint Morgan Library, New York (Barbara Schmitz, Islamic and Indian Manuscripts and Paintings in the Pierpoint Morgan Library, 1997, pp. 122, 142-143).
The calligraphy on the reverse is a prophetic tradition in praise of Imam ‘Ali ibn. Abi Talib with a Persian translation, signed by Ahmad al-Husayni al-Mashhadi. Born in Mashhad, Ahmad al-Husayni al-Mashhadi studied under Mir 'Ali Haravi and followed him from Herat to Bukhara in 1528. He returned to Mashhad in 1550 before going on to find employment and favour at the court of Shah Tahmasp in Qazvin. Despite retiring back to Mashhad as a teacher, his state stipend was taken away and he was forced to find employment again, first in Mazandaran and then at the court of Shah Isma'il II. He is recorded as dying in AH 986 (1578-79 AD) in Mazandaran (Will Kwiatkowski, Legacy of the Masters, London, 2019, p. 31). Three nasta‘liq calligraphies by him are part of the Read Albums in the Pierpoint Morgan Library, New York (Barbara Schmitz, Islamic and Indian Manuscripts and Paintings in the Pierpoint Morgan Library, 1997, pp. 122, 142-143).