{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O92472"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O92472/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GB1172/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GB1172/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GB1172","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BD5643","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O92472/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O92472","accessionNumber":"IM.233-1921","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"Shah Jahan holding an emerald","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This portrait of Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658) is signed by the court artist Muhammad Abed, who adds in his Persian inscription that he is the son of Aqa Reza (an Iranian artist who came to the Mughal court in the late 16th century) and brother of Nader al-Zaman ('Wonder of the Age'), a title given to one of the most important of all Mughal artists, Abu'l Hasan. The portrait depicts Shah Jahan, a renowned connoisseur of precious stones, wearing necklaces, bracelets, armlets and turban jewels made of very large pearls, spinels and emeralds. He holds a huge, facetted emerald in his left hand. The artist has signed his name and family connections in minute gold script beneath Shah Jahan's feet, with the addition that the painting was completed in the first (regnal) year, corresponding to 14 February 1628-25 January 1629.\r\nThe border of gold flowers on an indigo ground is signed in gold in two places (top left and top right) by the gilder, Harif, about whom nothing is known, though a few examples of his signed work exist on the borders of other album pages done for Shah Jahan, notably some of the 'Kevorkian' album in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. The writing is minuscule, and almost completely concealed within the foliage.","physicalDescription":" Shah Jahan stands facing right, his head in profile and surrounded by a golden halo, against a solid pale green ground. He wears an orange turban, brownish-pink trousers, and a translucent white muslin jama (robe). He is heavily bejewelled and holds a large, facetted emerald surrounded by pearls in his left hand and the hilt of his sword in his right hand. The portrait is mounted onto an album page of contemporary date, decorated with gold flowering plants on an indigo ground. The signature of the artist, Muhammad Abed, is in gold beneath Shah Jahan's feet; the signature  of the illuminator of the borders, Harif, is repeated twice, hidden amongst the gold designs. The album page has been cut down from its original size, as shown by the truncated plants at the edges.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Muhammad Abed","id":"A11779"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"opaque watercolour","id":"x35013"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Royalty","id":"THES48899"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project","id":"THES263148"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mughal","id":"AAT18939"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2013GB1172","2006BD5643"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SHLN","id":"THES49063"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"album page","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Agra","id":"x30318"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1628-1629","earliest":"1628-01-01","latest":"1629-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Sir Robert Nathan, K.C.S.I., C.I.E","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"23.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"folio","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"painting","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"36.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"page","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"23.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"page","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"21.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"portrait","note":"dimensions excluding narrow borders framing green-ground portrait"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"9.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"portrait","note":"dimensions excluding narrow borders framing green-ground portrait"}],"dimensionsNote":"Half Imperial Mount (Portrait)","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"1631-1632","earliest":"1631-01-01","latest":"1632-12-31"},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Persian","medium":"gold metallic pigment/","method":"","position":"Beneath Shah Jahan's feet","script":"","translation":"'painted by Muhammad Abed, son of Aqa Reza and brother of Nader al-Zaman... year one...[it] reached completion in year one in the heaven-like gathering''","transliteration":"'raqam-e muhammad 'Abid, valad-e Aqa Reza va baradar-e Nader al-Zaman...saneh ahad ... dar majlis-e behesht a'in be-itmam rasid'","type":"Signature","note":"Signature in Persian beneath Shah Jahan's feet; gold metallic pigment; 1628-1629\r\n\r\nDated 'saneh ahad', or year one (14 February 1628-25 January 1629) [reading by Saqeb Baburi, 2002]"},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"gold metallic pigment","method":"","position":"Upper left border, beneath first complete plant from top/, and upper right border, beneath second complete plant from top","script":"Persian","translation":"[signature of illuminator]","transliteration":"'Harif'","type":"Signature","note":"Signature; Persian; Upper left border, beneath first complete plant from top/, and upper right border, beneath second complete plant from top; gold metallic pigment"}],"objectHistory":"From the collection of Sir Robert Nathan (1868-1921), purchased from Maulvi Muhammad Hussain, Judge, Small Claims Court, Delhi. Sir Robert Nathan was Private Secretary to the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, in 1905; became Chief Secretary to the Government of East Bengal and Assam in 1907, and was Police Commissioner of Dhaka before leaving India in 1914. \r\n\r\nGiven by Sir Robert Nathan, K.C.S.I., C.I.E. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.\r\n\r\nR.P. 1921-4451","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Portrait of Shah Jahan by Muhammad 'Abed, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, dated regnal year one Dated 'saneh ahad', or year one (14 February 1628-25 January 1629) ","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Susan Stronge, Painting for the Mughal Emperor. The Art of the Book 1560-1660, V&A Publications, 2002, pl. 114 and pp. 149-153 where the signature of the illuminator was first noted.\r\nEkaterina Schcherbina, ed., India: Jewels That Enchanted the World. Moscow Kremlin Museums, 2014, cat. 45 p. 121\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"The Jewels of India: Marg, 1995 Number: ISBN 81-85026-30-0","id":"AUTH353485"},"details":"p. 110, cat. no. 8, Susan Stronge","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"Shah Jahan stands facing right, his head in profile and surrounded by a golden halo, against a solid pistachio green ground. He wears an orange turban, brownish-pink trousers, and a 5ranslucent white muslin<i> jama</i> (robe). He is heavily bejewelled and holds a large, facetted emerald surrounded by pearls in his left hand and the hilt of his sword in his right hand. The portrait is mounted onto an album page of probably contemporary date, decorated with gold flowering plants on an indigo ground. The signature of the artist, Muhammad Abed, is in gold beneath Shah Jahan's feet; the signature  of the illuminator, Harif, is repeated twice, hidden amongst the gold designs. The album page has been cut down from its original size, as shown by the truncated plants at the edges.","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Shah Jahan","id":"N818"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"ruler","id":"AAT25475"},{"text":"jewellery","id":"AAT209286"},{"text":"sword","id":"AAT37048"},{"text":"emerald","id":"AAT11074"},{"text":"halo","id":"x35202"},{"text":"natural pearl","id":"x42588"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IM.233-1921"],"accessionNumberNum":"233","accessionNumberPrefix":"IM","accessionYear":1921,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-22","recordCreationDate":"2004-02-10","availableToBook":false}}