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19th century Indian Seven Mughal Rulers Miniature Paintings

$15,000per set
£11,283.60per set
€13,071.52per set
CA$21,146.90per set
A$23,516.76per set
CHF 12,343.15per set
MX$286,775.55per set
NOK 155,992.99per set
SEK 146,249.64per set
DKK 97,564.28per set

About the Item

Indian 19th century group of fine seven oval hand - painted miniature portraits of revered Mughal rulers and their royal wives. All individually set in narrow likely gilt Silver frames with thin convex shaped protective glass covers and mounted together within a wooden panel covered with an old gold colored velvet mask.Period gessoed gilt wooden frame with chips and scratches, original flat glass intact. Frame is 38 cm x 33 cm. Back side is covered with original period paper sheet, discolored and worn and partially torn but still never de-touched. Each painting is 4.5 x 3.5 cm,medium is gouache or tempera with gold highlights. Indian artists adopted the technique of painting portrait miniatures with watercolors from British artists living and working in India in the middle of 19th century. These delicate paintings, therefore, are interesting examples of the cultural exchange between East and West during the period of European imperialism. Condition of all paintings is excellent, none has cracks, deformations or loss of paint. Small white particles visible undercover glass is common dust that accumulated with time. Original Paper back cover is old and fragile, it has some holes that let some dust in. To clean that dust You will need to remove the old paper cover and to de-touch the paintings from the wooden panel to be able to clean each painting individually. I tried to figure out the names of the sitters..I should admit that identifying the portraits of men was much easier than the portraits of women. Images seem to be positioned rather randomly. I'm certain that I figured out the names of the male rulers correctly, but I'm still not sure about identifications of the royal wives, images 3 and 5. I modified one image in the gallery numbering the miniatures for easy orientation. 1) Mughal Emperor Akbar (1555-1605AD) popularly known as Akbar the Great. He is generally considered one of the greatest emperors in Indian history and led a successful campaign to unify the various kingdoms of Hindūstān or India proper. Akbar was a warrior, emperor, general, animal trainer (reputedly keeping thousands of hunting cheetahs during his reign and training many himself), and theologian. Believed to be dyslexic, he was read to every day and had a remarkable memory. He created a library of over 24,000 volumes written in Sanskrit, Urdu, Persian, Greek, Latin, Arabic, and Kashmiri. This man had at least 13 wives in his harem, among them were 2 ladies presumably present in this group : Akbar's first wife and one of the chief consorts was his cousin, Princess Ruqaiya Sultan Begum ( presumably image 6 ) and his second consort Mariam-uz-Zamani ( presumably image 3 ) 2) Presumably Mumtaz Mahal, born Arjumand Banu Begum; 27 April 1593 – 17 June 1631. She was the empress consort of Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1631 as the chief consort of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (miniature 4). She died after giving birth to her 14th child in 1631. The Taj Mahal in Agra, often cited as one of the Wonders of the World, was commissioned by her husband Shah Jahan to act as her tomb. She is the lady who still remains entombed in the Taj together with her husband. 3) Presumably Mariam-uz-Zamani Mariam-uz-Zamani ( c.1542 – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer Jodha Bai, the youngest and most beautiful of the three chief wives of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar (miniature 1). She was a Rajput princess, the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber, and married Akbar in 1562. Mariam-uz-Zamani was known for her beauty and grace,and she played a significant role in Akbar's court, particularly in promoting cultural and religious tolerance. Her influence extended beyond just being a wife; she was also the mother of Jahangir, Akbar's successor. 4) This one depicts the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan(1592-1666) who built the Taj Mahal to entomb his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (miniature 2). Also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent he was Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the zenith of Mughal architectural and cultural achievements. 5) I could not identify this beautiful woman exactly . . I guess she can be Hamida Banu Begum , Persian from Khurasan - the empress consort of the second Mughal emperor Nasir al-Din Muhammad / Humayun ( miniature 7) and the mother of his successor, the third Mughal emperor Akbar ( mini 1) . She was bestowed the title of Mariam Makani (lit. 'Dwelling with Mariam'), by her son, Akbar the Great ( miniature 1). She also bore the title of Padshah Begum during the reign of Akbar the great(miniature 1). She was always mentioned as wise, well educated woman and had profound knowledge of medicine and treatment. She was was the daughter of her husband's maternal uncle (taghai), Yadgar Bega. 6) Presumably Ruqaiya Sultan Begum, (c. 1542 – January 1626) was the first wife and one of the chief consorts of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar( miniature 1 ). Ruqaiya was a first cousin of her husband, and was a Mughal princess by birth. 7) Nasir al-Din Muhammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), commonly known by his regal name Humayun (Persian pronunciation: [hu.mɑː.juːn]), was the second Mughal emperor, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India and Pakistan from 1530 to 1540 and again from 1555 to his death in 1556. At the time of his death, the Mughal Empire spanned almost one million square kilometers. Early in his reign, Humayun lost his entire state to Sher Shah Suri but regained it 15 years later with Safavid aid. His return from Persia was accompanied by a large retinue of Persian noblemen, signaling an important change in Mughal court culture. The Central Asian origins of the dynasty were largely overshadowed by the influences of Persian art, architecture, language and literature. He was the father of Akbar the Great (miniature 1)- his direct successor. Thus it's not surprising that his majesty is positioned in the center of this company. In my opinion : Numbers 3 and 5 - names on these may be exchangeable, but Hamida Banu Begum must be one of them. She was too important not to be listed here.. > > Most of the items that we sell at Atelier De Montplaisir are not new at all if not stated otherwise. Accordingly, most of the items most often show some signs of use. We do our best to photograph and describe condition as accurately as possible if we notice something. There is no point in hiding anything or lying about the condition of used items that are at least several decades old.. Also presume that our items may show minor scratches, chips,cracks, micro-dents, minor deformations, loss of color or gilding and other signs of wear and aging that we could miss to notice in description, unintentionally. . If there are questions about an item, please email us before you buy it. Atelier De Montplaisir will note in the descriptions any anomalies but also provide visual aid concerning condition though photographs, and these should be considered part of the description. Most images of items listed were taken under natural light at daytime. We at Atelier De Montplaisir use modern high quality digital cameras and additional photo equipment for image processing. We upload high quality images that allow to see well the shapes, colors and flaws of the items offered for sale.So look carefully before you buy anything. In reality some colors of materials involved may look a bit differently depending on light conditions, settings and functionality of your monitor and my camera. Your personal perception of colors and physiological conditions of your eyes may also affect the vision of the items. Unfortunately Internet sales do not allow us to see the items in person before we get them by post. All listings at Atelier De Montplaisir contain detailed images and accurate descriptions of the items involved with all possible detailed information about characteristics and measurements involved. Minor color deviations may be possible. So If you want to be be absolutely sure about the colors or other qualities of the items that you want to buy - please buy at physical shops and avoid internet shops. Do not buy here. >
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)Width: 13 in (33 cm)Depth: 0.79 in (2 cm)
  • Sold As:
    Set of 7
  • Style:
    Other (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Unknown
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Condition of all paintings is excellent, none has cracks, deformations or loss of paint.
  • Seller Location:
    Malmö, SE
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: MMAC3103241375.44031stDibs: LU10518246290902

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