Mir Jumla
Painting
ca. 1618-20 (made)
ca. 1618-20 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This page from a royal Mughal album bears a Persian inscription in black ink identifying the person depicted, Mir Jumla, and the artist, Shiv Das. Mir Jumla was the title of Mir Muhammad Amin, an Iranian from a prominent family in Isfahan. He travelled from Iran to the Deccan and entered the service of the Qutb Shahi ruler of Golconda who gave him the title. After some years, he returned to Iran, but arrived at the court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) in 1618. Mir Jumla was soon given high office, being appointed Khan-i Saman, the equivalent of Lord Chamberlain, as early as 1620. He kept this position under Jahangir's son and successor, Shah Jahan, and died in 1637.
The portrait was probably painted by Shiv Das between Mir Jumla's arrival in the Mughal empire in 1618 and his promotion in 1620. Little is known about the artist other than that he worked in the royal atelier in the late 16th and early 17th century under Akbar (r.1556-1605), and remained there during Jahangir's reign, but his surviving work is relatively rare. The borders surrounding the painting, densely decorated with gold flowering plants, Chinese clouds and hovering insects on indigo-dyed paper, were almost certainly also done in Jahangir's reign.
The portrait was probably painted by Shiv Das between Mir Jumla's arrival in the Mughal empire in 1618 and his promotion in 1620. Little is known about the artist other than that he worked in the royal atelier in the late 16th and early 17th century under Akbar (r.1556-1605), and remained there during Jahangir's reign, but his surviving work is relatively rare. The borders surrounding the painting, densely decorated with gold flowering plants, Chinese clouds and hovering insects on indigo-dyed paper, were almost certainly also done in Jahangir's reign.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Mir Jumla (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, Mir Jumla, Lord Chamberlain to Jahangir, attributed to Shiv Das, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1618-20; indigo borders painted with flowering plants, Chinese clouds and flying insects, in gold |
| Physical description | Painting, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mir Jumla, ascribed to Shiv Das. Mir Jumla is depicted standing facing left on a brown ground. The gold ground border surrounding him is filled with ornamented verses in Persian cut from another sheet and pasted onto the page. The indigo-dyed paper of the outer border is filled with gold blossoming plants. The subject and artist are identified in the black Persian inscription on the lower border on undyed paper between the indigo border and the portrait. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | Mir Jumla by Shiv Das. Mir Jumla is depicted standing facing left on a brown ground. A gold ground border surrounding him is filled with ornamented verses in Persian cut from another sheet and pasted onto the page. The indigo-coloured outer border is filled with gold blossoming plants. |
| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | shabih-e mir jumla amal-e shiv das (There is also a small oval seal stamp at lower right. )
|
| Gallery label | MIR JUMLA
Opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Mughal, by Shiv Das
c. 1618-20, borders
c. 1620-30
IM.121-1921
From the Wantage Album
Mir Jumla belonged to a prominent Iranian family. He left Isfahan to enter the emperor Jahangir’s service in 1618. He was soon given the very high position of Khan-i Saman, or
Lord Chamberlain. This painting was probably done shortly after his arrival at court. It is a rare example of work by the artist Shiv Das, who is named in the Persian inscription in the lower border that also identifies Mir Jumla.(27/9/2013) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Lady Wantage |
| Object history | The portrait done for Jahangir was inserted into a royal album, probably during his reign. It was bequeathed by Lady Wantage in 1921 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This page from a royal Mughal album bears a Persian inscription in black ink identifying the person depicted, Mir Jumla, and the artist, Shiv Das. Mir Jumla was the title of Mir Muhammad Amin, an Iranian from a prominent family in Isfahan. He travelled from Iran to the Deccan and entered the service of the Qutb Shahi ruler of Golconda who gave him the title. After some years, he returned to Iran, but arrived at the court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) in 1618. Mir Jumla was soon given high office, being appointed Khan-i Saman, the equivalent of Lord Chamberlain, as early as 1620. He kept this position under Jahangir's son and successor, Shah Jahan, and died in 1637. The portrait was probably painted by Shiv Das between Mir Jumla's arrival in the Mughal empire in 1618 and his promotion in 1620. Little is known about the artist other than that he worked in the royal atelier in the late 16th and early 17th century under Akbar (r.1556-1605), and remained there during Jahangir's reign, but his surviving work is relatively rare. The borders surrounding the painting, densely decorated with gold flowering plants, Chinese clouds and hovering insects on indigo-dyed paper, were almost certainly also done in Jahangir's reign. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.121-1921 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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