Shirin Receives a Ring from Khusraw
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Ink |
| Current Location: | The Walter Museum, North Charles Street, Baltimore |
| Location History: | Commissioned during the time of Akbar between 1597 and 1598. Remained with the Mughal for two generations. After which it moved to Private collection of Muhammad Zaki (1825-1826), Muhammad Shafi\' (1831-1832), Muhammad \'Ali (years unknown). Henry Walters acquired it in the early 20th century, upon his death in 1931, Henry Walters bequeathed his entire collection to the city of Baltimore for \"the benefit of the public.\" This led to the establishment of the Walters Art Museum in 1934, where the artwork resides today. |
This old Mughal painting, called "Shirin Receives a Ring from Khusraw" is an important page from a book of poems by Amir Khusraw Dihlavi. The painting shows buildings stacked on top of each other which looks like a crystal. This shows that the love between Khusraw and Shirin is pure and special. The painter is Farrukh Chela, was known for drawing people in a way and creating complicated buildings. His paintings mixed the details of Persian art with bright colors and exciting stories of Indian art. This painting shows a moment from the love story of Khusraw and Shirin. In this scene Khusraw Parviz, the king of the Sasanian Empire promises to marry Shirin, a princess from Armenia. This story is not a romance it also has a deeper meaning. In the literature of that time the journey of Khusraw and Shirin was like the journey of the soul to find God. Khusraw is sitting above. Shirin is sitting below but both are important in their own worlds. When Khusraw gives Shirin a ring it is not a romantic gesture it is also a formal promise and a sign of their new status. The people around them like the dancers and musicians show that this old Persian love story is connected to the life of the Mughal court in the 16th century during the time of Emperor Akbar. The work is signed in red ink as 'amal-i (the work of) Farrukh. He was one of the most distinctive and prolific artists in Akbar’s royal atelier.
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