Portrait of Shah Jahan on a globe

Unknown

Portrait of Shah Jahan on a globe. Painting, ink, colours and gold on paper, allegorical portrait of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658) holding out an octagonal jewel, with angels (European style putti) holding royal emblems of a sword, crown and parasol (chhatri, inscribed with his imperial genealogy) in the clouds above, and on the globe beneath his feet is a pair of weighing scales (representing justice under Shah Jahan's rule), a lion resting with a sheep (representing harmony), and two groups of religious men with rosaries, each holding up an inscribed scroll praising the emperor as the "friend of dervishes", close copy of a 1629 portrait (dated 1038H, attributed to Hashim, Freer-Sackler F1939.49a), India, undated, possibly c. 1800-1850.