Page 110 - Indian and Himalayan Art, March 15, 2017 Sotheby's NYC
P. 110
305
305
PROPERTY FROM THE LANIER COLLECTION The reverse of our muraqqa’ album folio has similar salmon
and gold border designs bearing a black ink inscription in
A PORTRAIT OF AN EMPRESS, A MURAQQA’ Urdu nasta’liq: “Zan Padeshah Cheen” meaning “The Wife of
ALBUM FOLIO the Emperor of China.” She is bejeweled with owing robes
India, Imperial Mughal, early 17th Century and her face is youthful and her demeanor con dent. Her
long piled hair exquisitely coi ed with a large gold, emerald
Ink and opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper and ruby ornament. She is depicted European-style in three-
image: 4¾ by 4 in. (10.1 by 10 cm) quarter view. Our empress is not speci cally identi ed
folio: 11½ by 8 in. (27.9 by 20.3 cm) although she does resemble an idealized English queen,
making the inscription, describing her as the wife of the
PROVENANCE Emperor of China, a mystery.
Acquired 1980’s
A remarkable, idealized portrait of a female monarch executed $ 6,000-8,000
with razor-like nesse in nim qalam with ink and slight color on
oval-shaped polished paper. Set within surrounding borders of
salmon-pink and bu gold oral-designs with decorative gold
ower cartouches in the outer borders.
108 SOTHEBY’S
