Emārat i Sadr, Isfahan, Iran, nineteenth century, Qajar era.
The painting above is a piece of work by Mihr Ali, a renowned Iranian artist from the Qajar era. Mihr Ali, also known as Mir Ali Qajar or Mehr Ali, was the chief artist of the Qajar ruler, Fath Ali Shah. Having mastered skills of traditional Persian painting, Mihr Ali was know for his excellence at capturing the power and grandeur of the sitter for his portraits. This is well reflected in the portrait of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan given here, which is among the paintings of several historical figures he created. In this painting, Shah Jahan is depicted as a young, beautiful, inexperienced boy, without the his moustache and the chiseled beard with which he had usually been shown. He is dressed in a high waisted, burnt orange coloured jama (tunic) with prints of tiny blur coloured flower like patterns and a golden yellow turban dumalla (double storeyed) turban on his head- a prevalent turban style in medieval India. On his waist he wears a blue coloured sash (patka or kamarmandh) with golden embroidery at its borders and a piece of jewelry made of emarald and gold adorning it at the centre. Below he wears deep red or maroon coloured high shoes, the use of which had gained momentum among the royalty during Safavid rule in Iran. Adoring his clothes are amulets (bāzubands) on his either arms and wrists, made of pearl, gold and emerald. Above on his turban is a crown jewel made of gold and emarald with a small, dark plum or feather at its top, attached to a string of pearls that runs around the band of his turban. The facial features reflect the classic stylized form of Qajar portraiture- thick, deep set eyebrows that join at the centre of the forehead, big almond shaped lashy eyes, and an oval face shape. The artwork above is an example of Mihr Ali's brilliance as an oil painter an portraitist. Apart from it, it is also an evidence of Iranian artists drawing inspiration for their paintings from Indian themes and figures- a lesser known aspect of the Indo-Iranian cultural interaction and history.
This stunning portrait of Shah Jahan was made in the Qajar era by Mihr Ali. Other popular depictions portray him as a powerful ruler and usually with a beard. In a complete contrast, Ali has depicted the ruler as a young, inexperienced and beardless young man.
