Dara Shikuh  thumbnail 1
Dara Shikuh  thumbnail 2
+1
images
Not currently on display at the V&A

Dara Shikuh

Painting
1640-1 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The portrait depicts the eldest and favourite son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658), Dara Shokuh, and is dated AH 1050/1640-1 AD. The prince holds a tray of jewels, among which may be seen a European cameo. He was killed after the war of succession that broke out in 1658 when the emperor fell ill and Aurangzeb, his younger brother, seized power and installed himself as the new emperor. At the bottom of the painting, in the border, Shah Jahan has written in Persian, the language of the court: "A good likeness of Baba Dara Shokuh by Chitarman". Few works have been identified that are definitely by this artist and virtually nothing beyond the fact of his royal service are known about him.
The folio is from a group of paintings acquired at auction in London in 1925 where they were sold as "The Minto Album" and subsequently divided between the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin and the V&A.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleDara Shikuh (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Brief description
Painting, Dara Shikuh, by Chitarman, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, 1641
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, the eldest son of Shah Jahan, Prince Dara Shokuh, is shown holding a tray of jewels.
Dimensions
  • Height: 38.5cm
  • Width: 26.3cm
Content description
The eldest son of Shah Jahan, Prince Dara Shikuh, is shown holding a tray of jewels.
Style
Object history
The folio is from a group of paintings acquired at auction in London in 1925 where they were sold as "The Minto Album" and subsequently divided between the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin and the V&A.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The portrait depicts the eldest and favourite son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658), Dara Shokuh, and is dated AH 1050/1640-1 AD. The prince holds a tray of jewels, among which may be seen a European cameo. He was killed after the war of succession that broke out in 1658 when the emperor fell ill and Aurangzeb, his younger brother, seized power and installed himself as the new emperor. At the bottom of the painting, in the border, Shah Jahan has written in Persian, the language of the court: "A good likeness of Baba Dara Shokuh by Chitarman". Few works have been identified that are definitely by this artist and virtually nothing beyond the fact of his royal service are known about him.
The folio is from a group of paintings acquired at auction in London in 1925 where they were sold as "The Minto Album" and subsequently divided between the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin and the V&A.
Bibliographic references
  • Swallow, D., Stronge, S., Crill, R., Koezuka, T., editor and translator, "The Art of the Indian Courts. Miniature Painting and Decorative Arts", Victoria & Albert Museum and NHK Kinki Media Plan, 1993. p. 41, cat. no. 15
  • STRONGE, Susan. Painting for the Mughal Emperor: The Art of the Book 1560 – 1660 London : V&A Publications, 2002. 192p, ill. ISBN 1 85177 358 4. p. 153, pl. 114
  • The Indian Heritage. Court life and Arts under Mughal Rule London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982 Number: ISBN 0 906969 26 3 Robert Skelton, cat. no. 67, p. 44
Collection
Accession number
IM.19-1925

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest