Firman of the Emperor Akbar

Object Details

• School/Tradition

  Mughal school

• Description

  Eight lines of calligraphy within central space. On the proper left side is a border, 6.5-8 cm wide, of arabesques and flowers. A narrower border with a geometric pattern is on the bottom edge and part of the proper right side.On the top border (30 cm high) is a painting of a temple, Emperor Akbar's name, title, and seals. The top border and the callgraphy are on the same sheet of paper; the side and borders are pasted on.

  The seal of the Emperor Akbar (with a central circle bearing his name and eight smaller circles inscribed with the name of Akbar's Timurid ancestors) appears in the space to the right of the temple depicted in the farman. The emperor's name and title are also written on the empty panel that occupies the position where the temple's interior image would otherwise appear. The wide border along the right side of the farman is decorated with a continuously scrolling floral arabesque, of great richness. While the much narrower borders (partially missing) on the other two sides are decorated with a simple repeat design.

• Inscriptions

  See the description field.

• Provenance

  A.C. Ardeshir, Bombay, India and Windsor, England [1]

  Family of A.C. Ardeshir, by descent [2]

  To 2001

  Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd., New York City, to 2001

  From 2001

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd. in 2001

  Notes:

  [1] According to Curatorial Note 3, Terence McInerney, June 2001, in the object record. Also, this object, as with most objects in the Ardeshir collection, was sent to England prior to the outbreak of World War I (according to Curatorial Note 3, Terence McInerney, June 2001, in the object record).

  [2] See note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  A. C. Ardeshir

  Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd. (active 1990-2013)

• Origin

  India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art in honor of Milo C. Beach

• Type

  Document

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1600s

• Name

  Ardeshir, A. C., McInerney, Terence

• Place

  India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), Flowers, Kings and rulers

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Documents