TWO FRAGMENTS FROM THE BORDERS OF A ROYAL ALBUM OF SHAH JAHAN, INDIA, MUGHAL, CIRCA 1635-45

These two small fragments were originally part of the borders of a leaf from the Late Shah Jahan Album, an album assembled at the royal kitabkhaneh in the 1640s or 1650s. The album consists of paintings by Mughal masters from the late 16th and early 17th century, along with calligraphic specimens predominantly by Persian masters of the Safavid period. The decoration of the borders consisted of floral designs and human and animal scenes, including specific portraits of Mughal courtiers and characters. The album is widely dispersed and has been exhibited and discussed in several publications. The most recent and thorough account can be found in Wright 2008, pp.106-139, 366-411. For a full-page from this album with floral borders see lot 105 in this sale.

Cary Welch had thought these border drawings might be the work of Govardhan, one of the greatest of Mughal royal artists. For an account and discussion of his work see footnote to lot 94 in this sale. A similar figurative border fragment by Govardhan is illustrated in Beach 1978, no.40, p.120.

For further illustrations and discussions of the late Shah Jahan Album see Wright 2008; Beach 1978; Beach 1981; Begley and Desai 1990; Binney 1973; Leach 1995.