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Lot Essay
THE ALBUM
The ‘Late Shah Jahan Album’ was so called because it was compiled during the last decade of Shah Jahan’s reign, between 1650 and 1658. The paintings in the album date from about 1620 to 1657, with an emphasis on single standing portraits of Mughal dignitaries. The associated calligraphic folios are by the well-known 16th century Iranian calligrapher Mir ‘Ali, most of them signed by him. The unsigned ones are also thought to be the work of Mir ‘Ali, with the exception of a single folio which is signed by Sultan ‘Ali Mashhadi. The album is assumed to have been part of the loot taken by Nadir Shah from Delhi in 1739. In the late 19th century it was taken to Russia by a brother of Nasir al-Din Shah, the Qajar ruler of Iran, and sold to an Armenian dealer who subsequently brought it to Paris in 1909 and sold it to the French dealer, Georges Demotte. It was dispersed in Paris after Demotte split many of the folios separating the paintings from their associated calligraphic sides. For a detailed discussion of the album, see Wright 2008, pp.106-139. For a list of known folios from the Late Shah Jahan Album, see Ibid., App.3, pp.462-466.
THE MAIN SUBJECT AND BORDERS
The most distinctive feature of the Late Shah Jahan Album are the seated and standing figures in the borders surrounding the central paintings. The usual format for the border figures surrounding non-royal Mughal subjects, like our portraits, is three standing figures in the long outer border and single or pairs of figures seated in the upper and lower borders. If the subject of the central painting has a military association, the standing border figures are often depicted carrying various types of arms. The border figures are attendants of the main subject and represent his wealth or military prestige. The paintings in the Shah Jahan album only illustrate individuals of importance at the Mughal court during Shah Jahan's reign. Ghazi Khan, of Uzbek origin, was in charge of the campaigns for Qandahar, so well depicted in the Padshahnama. He was a close friend of Dara Shikoh,which certainly contributed to his advancement. He served as Governor of Kabul and was given the title Zafar Jang by the emperor.
On the other side of the folios, the borders surrounding the panels of calligraphy comprise either arabesques or flowering plants which are sometimes illustrated with colorful birds as is the case with our folio.
CALLIGRAPHY
The calligraphy on our Late Shah Jahan Album folio is signed al-muthnib ‘Ali, probably referring to Mir 'Ali al-Katib (1465-1544 AD). Mir ‘Ali is often mentioned by Safavid sources as amongst the most important nasta'liq calligraphers of all time. Various authorities attribute the codifying of the aesthetic rules of nasta'liq script to him. Born in Herat circa 1476, he was later taken to Bukhara by the Shaybanid ruler 'Ubaydullah Khan after his capture of Herat in AH 935/1528-29 AD (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Nevisan, vol. II, Tehran 1346 sh., p.494). His recorded works are dated between AH 914/1508-09 AD and AH 951/1544-45 AD. The works of leading Persian calligraphers were particularly prized at the Mughal court and Mir ‘Ali was amongst those particularly admired by Jahangir. A large number of qit’as signed by him found their way into important Mughal albums, and he is the calligrapher responsible for most of the specimens in the Late Shah Jahan Album. It is possible that they were brought to the Mughal court by way of his son Muhammad Baqir who emigrated to India and was mentioned by Abu’l Fazl’s in his Ain-i Akbari (Islamic Calligraphy, 1998, p.170-171, no.54,). A comparable folio from a royal album made for Shah Jahan, probably the Late Shah Jahan Album, with floral margins surrounding a calligraphic panel signed by Mir ‘Ali, sold in these Rooms, 9 October 2014, lot 136.
The ‘Late Shah Jahan Album’ was so called because it was compiled during the last decade of Shah Jahan’s reign, between 1650 and 1658. The paintings in the album date from about 1620 to 1657, with an emphasis on single standing portraits of Mughal dignitaries. The associated calligraphic folios are by the well-known 16th century Iranian calligrapher Mir ‘Ali, most of them signed by him. The unsigned ones are also thought to be the work of Mir ‘Ali, with the exception of a single folio which is signed by Sultan ‘Ali Mashhadi. The album is assumed to have been part of the loot taken by Nadir Shah from Delhi in 1739. In the late 19th century it was taken to Russia by a brother of Nasir al-Din Shah, the Qajar ruler of Iran, and sold to an Armenian dealer who subsequently brought it to Paris in 1909 and sold it to the French dealer, Georges Demotte. It was dispersed in Paris after Demotte split many of the folios separating the paintings from their associated calligraphic sides. For a detailed discussion of the album, see Wright 2008, pp.106-139. For a list of known folios from the Late Shah Jahan Album, see Ibid., App.3, pp.462-466.
THE MAIN SUBJECT AND BORDERS
The most distinctive feature of the Late Shah Jahan Album are the seated and standing figures in the borders surrounding the central paintings. The usual format for the border figures surrounding non-royal Mughal subjects, like our portraits, is three standing figures in the long outer border and single or pairs of figures seated in the upper and lower borders. If the subject of the central painting has a military association, the standing border figures are often depicted carrying various types of arms. The border figures are attendants of the main subject and represent his wealth or military prestige. The paintings in the Shah Jahan album only illustrate individuals of importance at the Mughal court during Shah Jahan's reign. Ghazi Khan, of Uzbek origin, was in charge of the campaigns for Qandahar, so well depicted in the Padshahnama. He was a close friend of Dara Shikoh,which certainly contributed to his advancement. He served as Governor of Kabul and was given the title Zafar Jang by the emperor.
On the other side of the folios, the borders surrounding the panels of calligraphy comprise either arabesques or flowering plants which are sometimes illustrated with colorful birds as is the case with our folio.
CALLIGRAPHY
The calligraphy on our Late Shah Jahan Album folio is signed al-muthnib ‘Ali, probably referring to Mir 'Ali al-Katib (1465-1544 AD). Mir ‘Ali is often mentioned by Safavid sources as amongst the most important nasta'liq calligraphers of all time. Various authorities attribute the codifying of the aesthetic rules of nasta'liq script to him. Born in Herat circa 1476, he was later taken to Bukhara by the Shaybanid ruler 'Ubaydullah Khan after his capture of Herat in AH 935/1528-29 AD (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Nevisan, vol. II, Tehran 1346 sh., p.494). His recorded works are dated between AH 914/1508-09 AD and AH 951/1544-45 AD. The works of leading Persian calligraphers were particularly prized at the Mughal court and Mir ‘Ali was amongst those particularly admired by Jahangir. A large number of qit’as signed by him found their way into important Mughal albums, and he is the calligrapher responsible for most of the specimens in the Late Shah Jahan Album. It is possible that they were brought to the Mughal court by way of his son Muhammad Baqir who emigrated to India and was mentioned by Abu’l Fazl’s in his Ain-i Akbari (Islamic Calligraphy, 1998, p.170-171, no.54,). A comparable folio from a royal album made for Shah Jahan, probably the Late Shah Jahan Album, with floral margins surrounding a calligraphic panel signed by Mir ‘Ali, sold in these Rooms, 9 October 2014, lot 136.