Painting thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

mid 17th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, gold on borders, depicts an image of the legendary Muslim saint, Khwaja Khizr, standing on a large fish swimming on the surface of water. The saint holds out his hands in prayer with a rosary looped over his left hand. He is facing left and is dressed in robes in his traditional colour of green. The outer robe has wide sleeves under which he wears a darker robe with narrow sleeves. He also wear a green rounded turban with one end falling down his back. He wears black-heeled shoes and dark green trousers which fall over the top of his shoes. The grey-scaled fish has a pink tail and underbelly and swims on top of wavy grey water which is set against a pale, almost colourless, sky at the horizon which is midway up the surface of the painting and rises up to the top, becoming streaked with gold and touches of pale mauve.
The painting has a double frame of pale brown and dark blue paper decorated to match those on the opposite page (IS.48:11/B-1956) with floral and foliated scrolling patterns and outlines in gold, white black and a pale blue ruled outer line on the main border. This, too matches that of the previous page and has an ivory-coloured ground decorated with pink lilies and red poppies picked out in gold. The margins of the page have strips of buff-coloured paper stuck to them. A white line has been ruled along the inner edges next to a gold line between black ruled lines. A pale brown strip of paper has been added on the left hand side as a gutter for the album binding


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Brief description
Painting, Small Clive Album p. 23, Khwaja Khizr Khan, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, mid 17th century
Physical description
The painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, gold on borders, depicts an image of the legendary Muslim saint, Khwaja Khizr, standing on a large fish swimming on the surface of water. The saint holds out his hands in prayer with a rosary looped over his left hand. He is facing left and is dressed in robes in his traditional colour of green. The outer robe has wide sleeves under which he wears a darker robe with narrow sleeves. He also wear a green rounded turban with one end falling down his back. He wears black-heeled shoes and dark green trousers which fall over the top of his shoes. The grey-scaled fish has a pink tail and underbelly and swims on top of wavy grey water which is set against a pale, almost colourless, sky at the horizon which is midway up the surface of the painting and rises up to the top, becoming streaked with gold and touches of pale mauve.
The painting has a double frame of pale brown and dark blue paper decorated to match those on the opposite page (IS.48:11/B-1956) with floral and foliated scrolling patterns and outlines in gold, white black and a pale blue ruled outer line on the main border. This, too matches that of the previous page and has an ivory-coloured ground decorated with pink lilies and red poppies picked out in gold. The margins of the page have strips of buff-coloured paper stuck to them. A white line has been ruled along the inner edges next to a gold line between black ruled lines. A pale brown strip of paper has been added on the left hand side as a gutter for the album binding
Dimensions
  • Central painting height: 14cm
  • Central painting width: 8.5cm
  • Page height: 35cm
  • Page width: 23cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
the numeral '12' inscribed in pencil (top right hand corner of the main border)
Credit line
Gift of Mr. John Goelet
Object history
This miniature painting is part of the Small Clive Album of Indian miniatures which is thought to have been given by Shuja ud-Daula, the Nawab of Avadh, to Lord Clive during his last visit to India in 1765-67. It contains 62 leaves on which are Mughal miniature paintings, drawing and flower studies on both sides. The binding is covered with an Indian brocade silk that may have been cut from lengths brought home by the 2nd Lord Clive, who served as Governor of Madras, 1799 to 1803. The album was sold from Powis Castle at Sotheby's sale, 16 to 18 January 1956, lot 332A.
Subjects depicted
Bibliographic reference
Leach, Linda York, Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, London, 1995, vol. II, No.6.239, p.662
Collection
Accession number
IS.48:12/A-1956

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Record createdNovember 13, 2003
Record URL
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