Portrait of Sarkhan Beg the Table-steward
Image source: britishmuseum.org

Portrait of Sarkhan Beg the Table-steward

Support Type: Paper
Paint Type: Gouache
Current Location: The British Museum, London, United Kingdom
Location History:Created originally in the royal Safavid capital of Tabriz (modern-day Northwestern Iran). It was later mounted into a detached album leaf (muraqqa) along with other works by master painters before eventually being acquired by the British Museum in 1930.

This beautiful painting is a single-page artwork from the 16th century. It shows a full-length portrait of a young man named Sarkhan Beg, who worked as an important royal table-steward in the palace of Shah Tahmasp I. The painting was made by a famous royal artist named Mir Musavvir, who was known for his highly detailed style during the Safavid dynasty. The young man is standing up straight and looks very elegant. He is wearing a classic court outfit, which includes a large, carefully wrapped white turban on his head and a long, flowing robe. Around his waist, he has a decorated belt that shows his high status in the royal household. If you look closely at his hands, his right hand is gently holding a single flower up against his chest. In Persian court art, holding a flower like this was a popular way to show that a person was polite, educated, and had refined tastes. His left hand is resting lower down, holding onto a colorful cord that keeps a small ceremonial knife attached to his belt. The background behind him is quite simple so that it does not distract you from the main person. It features delicate plants and small leaves painted in soft gold lines. There are also two handwritten notes on the page in beautiful Persian script. One note tells us the name of the young steward, and the other note names Mir Musavvir as the artist.

Sources:

Description Sources: artsandculture.google.com
Location source: britishmuseum.org
Location History: britishmuseum.org

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Information Compiled by Puja Kumari
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