MUGHAL INDIA, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY

Details

NUR JAHAN
MUGHAL INDIA, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY
Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, laid within a double margin, the inner with floral meander, the outer dusty blue with gold floral meander, laid down on card, the borders decorated with gold cusped palmettes, with applied gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece, reverse with 6ll. black nasta'liq script, laid down on gold-speckled margins
The painting 7 ¾ x 5in. (19.7 x 12.8cm.); folio 16 1⁄8 x 10 ¼in. (41 x 26.1cm.)

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Lot Essay

The face and dress of the subject of our painting bears comparison with that of a painting in the Rhode Island Design School Museum which has a Persian inscription at the top identifying the sitter as Nur Jahan (acc.no.17.478). A similar identifying note appears on a portrait in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc.no.IM.37-1912). A final example, painted in the Kishangarh style but with many similarities to our painting, can be seen in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (IM.37-1912). It is possible that paintings such as this were based on an original portrait of Nur Jahan, copied repeatedly over centuries.

The floral border to the painting, as well as the calligraphic panel on the other side, is reminiscent of the Polier Albums.

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