Emperor Aurangzeb; reverse: calligraphic panel

Object Details

• Description

  Detached album folio; text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; obverse: Emperor Aurangzeb, inscription on the margin reads: Alamgir Padishah; reverse: calligraphic panel, couplets of poem, signed and dated by Muhammad Qasim.

  Border: Obverse is set in gold and blue rulings surrounded by a geometrical interlace scroll mounted on dark red, gold-sprinkled paperboard; reverse is set in gold and blue rulings followed by a foliate scroll, mounted on dark red, gold-sprinkled paperboard.

• Marks

  Old matting: Alem gir, written in pencil

  Old matting: Prince Alemgir, written in black ink

  Old matting: 308 B, written in pencil

  Old matting: Est. Demhasx, written in pencil

  Old matting: 7 partially circled, written in blue pencil

  Old matting: 77 written in black ink

  Old matting: 2 written in pencil

  Old matting, black paper: Prince Alemghir written in pencil

  Old matting, black paper: Prince Alemghir written in pencil

• Inscriptions

  S1986.420 reverse, text (quatrain, in Persian): Yâr âmad u guft khasta mîdâr dilat/ dâyim ba umîd basta mîdâr dilat/ Mârâ ba shikastagân nazarhâ bâshad/ mârâ khwâhî shikasta mîdâr dilat.

  "My beloved came and said, "Keep your heart wounded/ always keep your heart bound to hope/ our gaze [of favor] is upon the defeated/ If you desire us, keep your heart broken."

  Top right corner: huwa 'l-'aziz

  "He [God] is the omnipotent.

  Bottom left corner: mashshaqahu al-faqîr Muhhamad Qâsim saneh 1028.

  "Written by the poor Muhammed Qasim in the year [A.H. 1028] A.D. [1619].

  "Written by the poor Muhammed Qasim in the year [A.H. 1028] A.D. [1619].

• Provenance

  ?-no later than 1903

  Possibly Georges Demotte (1877-1923), method of acquisition unknown [1]

  By 1903-1942

  Henri Vever (1854-1942), likely purchased from Georges Demotte [2]

  1942-1947

  Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947), bequest of Henri Vever [3]

  1947-1986

  Francois Mautin (1907-2003), bequest of Jeanne Louise Monthiers and Henri Vever [4]

  From 1986

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased from Francois Mautin [5]

  Notes:

  [1] See annotation “Est. Dem.” on the work’s original matting, which suggests the work was possibly appraised and sold by Georges Demotte to Vever. Georges Demotte was a collector and dealer of Islamic and medieval European art. He had galleries in Paris and New York City.

  [2] An accomplished French jeweler and collector, Henri Vever (1854-1942) amassed a large and impressive collection of works of art during his lifetime. His holdings in Japanese prints and Islamic arts of the books, especially from Iran and India, were among the most important assembled in the early twentieth century. The work was included along with S1986.420 in Gaston Migeon et al. “Exposition des arts musulmans: catalogue descriptif” [exhibition catalogue] (Paris: Société française d’imprimerie et de librairie, 1903), p. 114, no. 906. This work was in Vever's collection at the time of his death in 1942. Vever had the work in his collection at the time of his death.

  [3] Upon Henri Vever's death on September 25, 1942, his wife, Jeanne Louise Monthiers inherited the object. See exhibits F and G of Agreement of Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection, January 9, 1986, copy in object file.

  [4] Upon the death of Jeanne Louise Monthiers, as stipulated in the will of Henri Vever, the family's assets were divided evenly between his two grandchildren. His only grandson, Francois Mautin inherited the collection known as "The Henri Vever Collection of Oriental Art and Manuscripts Including Persian and Indian Art and Manuscripts." This object is part of that collection. See exhibits F and G as cited in note 3.

  [5] The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased the entirety of the collection from Francois Mautin on January 9, 1986. See purchase agreement, copy in object file.

  Research updated January 22, 2024.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Georges Demotte (1877-1923)

  Henri Vever (1854-1942)

  Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947)

  Francois Mautin (1907-2003)

• Origin

  India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1610s

• Name

  Mautin, Francois Albert, Monthiers, Jeanne Louise, Demotte, Georges, Vever, Henri

• Place

  India

• Topic

  Prayer beads, South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Henri Vever collection, Portraits, Kings and rulers, Halo

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings