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拍品專文
This is a magnificent copy of the Shahnama created by a small number of highly skilled artists from the Mughal Court. The rich and vibrant colours, the mesmerizing use of gold and the heavy shaded facial features which are extremely expressive all point to a Delhi school at the beginning of the 19th century. Although based on the 17th century manner of illustration the artists have managed to combine their talent and knowledge of both Persianate and Mughal painting practices in the early 19th century, to create a real sense of emotion, action and three-dimensional perspective to each individual illustration.
The patron of this work in unknown but it is clear that such a work would have been an extensive and time-consuming commission. The British took control of Delhi 1803 after which the Mughal Emperor ruled in name only. Artists working at this time were employed on a freelance basis, individually or in family ateliers, taking commissions from various patrons, whether Indian, British or Mughal. This copy of the Shahnama, the Persian national epic would have been such commission, perhaps ordered for presentation by one of the more illustrious servants of the British East India Company. Fifty five of the miniatures in the present copy appear to be by two distinct artists and a further five by an inferior hand. Delhi artists did not usually sign the miniatures, perhaps seeing themselves as carrying on the artistic tradition of the vanished days of Mughal glory. Our Shahnama’s illustrations are extremely similar and perhaps by the same artists who created the Princeton Shahnama (MSS., no. 57G).
The patron of this work in unknown but it is clear that such a work would have been an extensive and time-consuming commission. The British took control of Delhi 1803 after which the Mughal Emperor ruled in name only. Artists working at this time were employed on a freelance basis, individually or in family ateliers, taking commissions from various patrons, whether Indian, British or Mughal. This copy of the Shahnama, the Persian national epic would have been such commission, perhaps ordered for presentation by one of the more illustrious servants of the British East India Company. Fifty five of the miniatures in the present copy appear to be by two distinct artists and a further five by an inferior hand. Delhi artists did not usually sign the miniatures, perhaps seeing themselves as carrying on the artistic tradition of the vanished days of Mughal glory. Our Shahnama’s illustrations are extremely similar and perhaps by the same artists who created the Princeton Shahnama (MSS., no. 57G).