Harvard Art Museums > 2010.569: Shah Jahan Drawings Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Shah Jahan , 2010.569,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, May 06, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/337116. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2010.569 Title Shah Jahan Classification Drawings Work Type drawing Date 19th century Period Mughal period Culture Islamic Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/337116 Physical Descriptions Medium Opaque watercolor and gold on paper Dimensions image: 23.5 x 12.9 cm (9 1/4 x 5 1/16 in.) with border: 24.5 x 14 cm (9 5/8 x 5 1/2 in.) with mounting: 31.6 x 21 cm (12 7/16 x 8 1/4 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History [Michael Spink, London, early 1980s], sold; to Benjamin Zucker, New York (by 1985), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2010. Note: According to Benjamin Zucker, Michael Spink claimed to have acquired the painting in London. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Benjamin Zucker in honor of Milo Beach and Terence McInerney Accession Year 2010 Object Number 2010.569 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description In this small painting, Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor (r 1628-58) stands in perfect profile facing left against minimal indications for land and sky. This painting captures the emperor in the later years of his life when his beard had whitened. The purpose of this formal portrait is to express the power and rank of the ruler. His brilliantly colored turban is adorned with pearls and the black aigrette reserved for the emperor. The nimbus encircling his head and shoulders spreads his radiance in all directions. His uplifted hand sports an archer's ring to suggest his skills as both hunter and warrior. To further indicate his prowess, a push dagger is tucked in his jeweled waistband, and a sword rests in its golden sheath on his shoulder. The emperor's sumptuous garments include trousers in a rare purple hue, a floral patterned diaphanous "jama", and a cloth-of-gold sash, also patterned with floral motifs. Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
