Central Asia, India, Mughal Empire, ca. 17th to 18th century CE. A gorgeous, bright painting depicting the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, whose death inspired her husband to construct the Taj Mahal. The artwork is done in the classic Mughal style under Shah Jahan, when the work was focused on miniatures and individual portraits. Each portrait is done in an oval and the lovers are shown facing each other. Shah Jahan wears a yellow robe, decorated with finely-detailed flowers and trimmed with bright purple. He has a red turban, and sits with one hand to his heart, the other extended forward towards the portrait of his wife. She wears clothing that matches his in color, as does her fine jewelry, and she sits with a flower in one extended hand and the other hand to her heart in the same pose as her husband. Comes with frame. Size: 9.5" W x 5.5" H (24.1 cm x 14 cm)

The portraits are set against a background that matches the fine detail of their costume, dark red with carefully-painted flowers. A border outside of the portraits and their background is full of whimsical line drawings of animals, including birds, deer, elephants, and tigers. This is a beautiful, sensitive piece inspired by one of the most famous true love stories in history.

Provenance: private collection, Los Angeles, California, USA; previously a private Australian collection

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#123359

Excellent, with beautiful color. Tiny tear to border.