Lot 25

Illustrated and Illuminated Muraqqa, Subimperial Mughal, India, 19th Century

Estimate

8,000 - 12,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

47 leaves, each leaf with either a miniature or calligraphic panel, paper laid down on stout paper, gouache and ink heightened with gold, borders ruled in colours and gold, margins of gold, red, orange, green and blue heightened with gold, miniatures including portraits of Mughal and sub-Imperial Mughal rulers, courtiers and princesses, European inspired portraits, of varying quality and date, calligraphy including work in nasta'liq, naskh and shikasteh, also of varying quality and dates, one dated A.H.1185/A.D.1771, another A.H.1212/A.D.1797, brown morocco, gilt stamped leather binding with foliate motif

Provenance

Formerly in the Otto G. Schaefer Collection

Catalogue Note

The present album is an excellent example of nineteenth century Indian album production.

For centuries the album was the preferred method of presenting miniatures in the Islamic world. Translating as 'that which is put together from several pieces,' the muraqqa traditionally consisted of luxuriously bound paintings, drawings and calligraphy displayed on stiff, coloured and illuminated pages. The practice is thought to have begun as early as the fourteenth century when a literary reference mentions a djung bound for Sultan Ahmad Jalayir, but extant examples remain only from the sixteenth century onwards. The Mughal emperors were particularly fond of the muraqqa, and several lavish examples remain, the practice continued in India well into the nineteenth century as demonstrated here.