A Portrait Of A Young Nobleman, Possibly Safi Khan

Project Details

A Portrait Of A Young Nobleman, Possibly Safi Khan

Mughal India
Circa 1680
Painting: 16.5 cm. x 10.7 cm.
Including borders: 25.5 cm. x 19.6 cm.

A young nobleman standing facing left holding a rose sprig, wearing a striped, yellow jama and a yellow turban decorated with a jewelled sarpech, a sword and shield hanging from his floral patka, flowers including irises and grass at his feet, gouache on paper, mounted on an album page with gilt decorated borders, an inscription in English on reverse with a reference to the name Ibbetson.

This charming, delicate seventeenth century Mughal miniature painting of a young nobleman against a plain background with flowers at his feet is a fine example of Mughal painting executed during the reign of Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707) with all the qualities of Mughal portrait painting established during the reign of Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1658). It bears many similarities to a likeness of Safi Khan, a mansahbdar working at the court of Aurangzeb.

For a comparable portrait of Safi Khan from the Johnson Album compiled by Richard Johnson (1753-1807) now in the British Library, formerly in the India Office Library, see, T. Falk and M. Archer, Indian Miniatures in the India Office Library, London, 1981, no. 123 (iv). Also see, Emily, Hannam, Eastern Encounters, Four Centuries of Paintings and Manuscripts from the Indian Subcontinent, The Royal Collection Trust, London, 2018, nos. 35 and 36.

Provenance

The Ibbetson Collection

The interesting inscription on the reverse of the painting connects the portrait to the Ibbetson family and possibly Sir Denzil Charles Jelf Ibbetson KCSI (1847-1909). The Ibbetson family moved to Australia where Sir Denzil spent part of his early life before arriving at Cambridge to take a second degree in mathematics at St John’s College. In 1870, he arrived with his bride Louisa Coulden in India, taking up a post in the Punjab. In his later career he served as Chief-Commissioner of the Central Provinces and Berar from 1898-1899. He was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in 1907 and made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) in the 1903 Durbars Honours List. During his time in India, he made a significant contribution to the understanding of the Indian census and caste system. He died in London, in 1909.

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Margaret Erskine for writing this article on the present miniature painting.

Categories: Calligraphy & Miniatures

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A Portrait Of A Young Nobleman, Possibly Safi Khan

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