Mirror thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
South Asia Gallery, Room 41

Mirror

c. 1700 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This rare mirror was made within the Mughal empire, probably towards the end of the reign of the emperor 'Alamgir (r. 1658-1707). The mirror is held in a frame of dark green nephrite jade inlaid with white nephrite jade and rubies in gold. The inlays on the mirror-back are secured by highly refined gold to form a trellis design.
It was formerly owned by Colonel Charles Seton Guthrie, who sold it with other objects from his renowned collection of Mughal and other hardstones to the Indian Museum in London in 1868. These were transferred to this museum in 1879.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Dark green nephrite jade inlaid with white nephrite jade and rubies in gold
Brief description
Mirror, dark green nephrite jade inlaid with white nephrite jade and rubies in gold, Mughal empire, c. 1700
Physical description
Dark green nephrite jade inlaid with white nephrite jade and rubies in gold. The inlays on the mirror-back are secured by highly refined gold to form a trellis design.
Dimensions
  • Height: 13.4cm
  • Width: 11.4cm
  • Depth: 1.3cm
Style
Object history
Purchased from the collection of Colonel Charles Seton Guthrie in 1868 and transferred from the India Museum in 1879.
Subject depicted
Summary
This rare mirror was made within the Mughal empire, probably towards the end of the reign of the emperor 'Alamgir (r. 1658-1707). The mirror is held in a frame of dark green nephrite jade inlaid with white nephrite jade and rubies in gold. The inlays on the mirror-back are secured by highly refined gold to form a trellis design.
It was formerly owned by Colonel Charles Seton Guthrie, who sold it with other objects from his renowned collection of Mughal and other hardstones to the Indian Museum in London in 1868. These were transferred to this museum in 1879.
Bibliographic references
  • Baker, Malcolm, et. al., A Grand Design: The Art of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London: V&A Publications, 1999. Ernst Grube, The World of Islam, London 1966, fig. 105 p. 160
  • Barnard, Nick, Indian Jewellery: The V&A Collection London: V&A Publishing, 2008 Number: ISBN 9781851774838 pp. 102-3, pl. 5.2
  • 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. 53, cat. no. 31
Collection
Accession number
02587(IS)

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Record createdNovember 25, 2003
Record URL
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