Da’ud Receives a Robe of Honor from Mun’im Khan from an Akbarnama

Maker(s)
Artist: Attributed to Hiranand
Historical period(s)
Mughal dynasty, Reign of Akbar, ca. 1596-1600
Movement
Mughal Court
School
Mughal School
Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 23.8 x 12.3 cm (9 3/8 x 4 13/16 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1952.31
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Album, Painting
Type

Album leaf with painting

Keywords
India, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), nasta'liq script, Reign of Akbar (1556 - 1605)
Provenance

To 1952
Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc., New York to 1952 [1]

From 1952
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc. in 1952 [2]

Notes:

[1] See Freer Gallery or Art Purchase List after 1920, Collections Management Office.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc.

Label

Da'ud, an Afghan contemporary and rival of Mughal emperor Akbar (reigned 1556-1605), ruled the eastern states of Bihar and Bengal and had the audacity to assume the title of padshah (emperor). Attacked and defeated by the imperial troops, Da'ud surrendered to the commander in chief, Mun'im Khan, and accepted Mughal sovereignty. This painting portrays Da'ud donning the splendid golden robe given to him by Mun'im Khan in acceptance of his oath of allegiance and service. The minister sits in front of a freestanding lattice tent--the domed shape of which was an imperial symbol.

Published References
  • Sussan Babaie. Isfahan and its Palaces: Statecraft, Shi'ism and the Architecture of Conviviality in Early Modern Iran. Edinburgh Studies in Islamic Art Edinburgh. pl. 2.
  • Rudolf Meyer Riefstahl. Catalog of an Exhibition of Persian and Indian Miniature Paintings forming the Private Collection of Dikran Khan Kelekian. Exh. cat. New York. cat. 94.
  • The Fabric of India. Exh. cat. London. p. 11, fig. 3.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. Mughal Tents. vol. 16, no. 1 Hong Kong, January 1985. pp. 32-43.
  • Dr. Liza Oliver. Art, Trade, and Imperialism in Early Modern French India. Amsterdam, 2019. p. 47, fig. .8.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court. Exh. cat. Washington, 1981. cat. 12e, pp. 56, 114-115.
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court., 2nd ed. Washington and Ahmedabad, India, 2012. cat. 10F, p. 75.
  • Encounters: The Meeting of Asia and Europe 1500-1800. Exh. cat. London and New York. p. 84, fig. 6.8.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Worlds within Worlds: Imperial Paintings from India and Iran
Google Cultural Institute
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