A PORTRAIT OF AN EMPRESS, A MURAQQA' ALBUM FOLIO

Estimate

6,000 - 8,000 USD

bidding is closed

Description

A PORTRAIT OF AN EMPRESS, A MURAQQA' ALBUM FOLIO
Ink and opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper
image: 4 3/4 by 4 in. (10.1 by 10 cm)
folio: 11 1/2 by 8 in. (27.9 by 20.3 cm)

Provenance

Acquired 1980's

Catalogue Note

A remarkable, idealized portrait of a female monarch executed with razor-like finesse in nim qalam with ink and slight color on oval-shaped polished paper. Set within surrounding borders of salmon-pink and buff gold floral-designs with decorative gold flower cartouches in the outer borders.

The reverse of our muraqqa' album folio has similar salmon and gold border designs bearing a black ink inscription in Urdu nasta'liq: "Zan Padeshah Cheen" meaning "The Wife of the Emperor of China." She is bejeweled with flowing robes and her face is youthful and her demeanor confident. Her long piled hair exquisitely coiffed with a large gold, emerald and ruby ornament. She is depicted European-style in three-quarter view. Our empress is not specifically identified although she does resemble an idealized English queen, making the inscription, describing her as the wife of the Emperor of China, a mystery.