The Emperor Shah Jahan Standing on a Globe

Detached album folio; recto: Emperor Shah Jahan standing on a globe; inscriptions in Persian black nasta’liq script; verso: calligraphy panel, quatrain by Hafiz; Persian in black nasta’liq script; signature in the bottom cloud band; one of a group of 16 folios.
Border: The painting is set in a pink, floral scroll inner frame and a gold outer frame mounted on paperboard with illuminated floral motifs. The calligraphy panel is set in an inner frame of cartouches with calligraphy and a pink floral scroll outer frame mounted on paperboard with illuminated floral motifs.

Maker(s)
Artist: Inscribed (later) to Hashim
Historical period(s)
Mughal dynasty, Reign of Shah Jahan, ca. 1618-19
Movement
Mughal Court
School
Mughal School
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 25.1 x 15.8 cm (9 7/8 x 6 1/4 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1939.49a
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Album, Painting
Type

Album leaf with painting

Keywords
angel, emperor, globe, halo, illumination, India, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), Reign of Shah Jahan (1628 - 1658)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Detached album folio; recto: Emperor Shah Jahan standing on a globe; inscriptions in Persian black nasta'liq script; verso: calligraphy panel, quatrain by Hafiz; Persian in black nasta'liq script; signature in the bottom cloud band; one of a group of 16 folios.
Border: The painting is set in a pink, floral scroll inner frame and a gold outer frame mounted on paperboard with illuminated floral motifs. The calligraphy panel is set in an inner frame of cartouches with calligraphy and a pink floral scroll outer frame mounted on paperboard with illuminated floral motifs.

Inscription(s)

Amal Hashim. Tarikh dovom Jamadi al-thani ruz doshanbeh seneh 38 shabih tayar shoud.

"Work of Hashim. On the second of Jumada II, day Monday, year 1038, the portrait was executed."

Elahi to in shah darvish dost
ke asayesh khalgh dar zel-i oost
basi bar sar-i khalgh payandeh dar
betofigh ta'at delash zehdeh dar

"Oh God, keep this king, the friend of the dervishes
under whose shadow people's peaceful existance is maintained
keep him for a long time [established over the people]
keep his heart alive by the succor of obedience."

Inscriptions on the parasol: top: God is great; In the large circle below (as well as can be deciphered): [Persian] The victorious hero Shah Jahan [?] Muhammad lord of felicity; in the shining star from right to left in circles: genealogy of Shah Jahan back to Timur (Padeshah Akbar, Padeshah Humayun, Babur, Umar Shayk, Sultan Abu Said, Sultan Mirza Mahmud, Mira Shah, Shahib qaran Amir Taymur.

Published References
  • Amin Jaffer. Beyond Extravegance: A Royal Collection of Gems and Jewels. vols. 1-2, , 2nd ed. New York. pg. 50.
  • Michael C. Spink. The "World-Capturer" Sword and Other Recorded Weapons of Emperor Shah Jahan. Lancaster, United Kingdom. cover and p. 11.
  • Ali Anooshahr. The Mughal Empire from Jahangir to Shah Jahan: Art, Architecture, Politics, Law and Literature. Mumbai, India. Spine (citation on p. 7) and p. 29, fig. 5.
  • Freer Gallery of Art. Gallery Book IV: Exhibition of May 22nd, 1940. Washington. .
  • Regula Argast. Menschen in Zeit und Raum. 4 vols. (6-9), , textbook with CDROM. Buchs, Switzerland, 2005 - 2008. vol. 7: p. 62, fig. 35.
  • Sumanthi Ramaswamy. The Conceit of the Globe in Mughal Visual Practice. vol. 49, no. 14 Cambridge, England, October 2007. .
  • Sotheby's (London). Catalogues of Valuable Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures, Comprising a series of very important Indian drawings by the court painters of the great Moghul emperors, Shah Jahan and Aurangzib, the property of a gentleman. London, December 12-13, 1929. no. 111, p. 15.
  • Amin Jaffer, Martin Chapman. East Meets West: Jewels of the Maharajas from the Al Thani Collection. San Francisco. p. 52, fig. 16.
  • Hunt for Paradise: Court Arts of Safavid Iran, 1501-1576. Exh. cat. Milan. p. 59, fig. 3.14.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court., 2nd ed. Washington and Ahmedabad, India, 2012. cat. 24D, p. 147.
  • (Forward) Milo Cleveland Beach. The Magnificent Mughals. New York. p. 171, fig. 32.
  • The Presence of Light: Divine Radiance and Religious Experience. Chicago. p. 183, fig. 7.5.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court. Exh. cat. Washington, 1981. cat. 24d, p. 186.
  • Catherine B. Asher, Cynthia Talbot. India Before Europe. New York. p. 190.
  • Joseph M. Dye. The Arts of India. London. p. 217, fig. 71.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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