Johnson 64,38

The emperor Timur enthroned with his descendants.

By Hashim, Mughal, c.1650.

Richard Johnson Collection. Purchased 1807.

Signed on throne in Persian characters: ‘‘amal-i hashim’ (the work of Hashim); inscribed in the foreground with the emperors’ names: ‘Jahangir, Humayun, Babur, Akbar’ and with the numerals ‘1147’ and ‘1413’; on border above: ‘Amir Timur.’

Gouache; three borders of gilt floral decoration.

174 by 116 mm; page 325 by 228 mm.

Reverse: ‘sura’ 67 of the Qur’an written in 21 lines of ‘naskhi’ calligraphy; signed by Muhammad ‘Ali al-Jilani and dated AH1008/AD1677; enclosed on three sides by illumination in colours and gold.

Reproduced: Pinder-Wilson (1976), no.138.

Discussed: Barrett and Gray (1963), 109, where it is suggested that this could have been painted for Shah Jahan’s accession.

Timur’s throne with its small canopy above is placed on a medallion carpet on a terrace, the Mughal emperors Humayun and Jahangir kneeling on the right, Babur and Akbar on the left. The poet Sa‘di dressed in white is also standing on the left, and an attendant holds a state sword to the right. There is water and low hills behind, and a step and grass in the foreground.

Note: Group portraits of Mughal ancestors arranged in this formal manner were popular during Shah Jahan’s reign. Two similar pictures, by Bishandas and Balchand, are in a Mughal album in the Gulistan Palace Collection, Tehran (Godard (1937), figs 63 and 64). A later more elaborate version also excluding Shah Jahan, and with Timur as the central figure was painted by Hashim in AH1064/AD1653-54 (Martin (1912), II, pl.214; Martin and Vever (1913), II, pl.CLVIII: Sotheby, 3 April 1978, lot 99). The distinguishing feature of the present version is the inclusion of the Sufi shaikh holding the book; this is identified as the poet Sa‘di by comparison with his likeness in miniatures in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (Ettinghausen (1961A), fig.2) and the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin (Arnold (1936), I, 34, no.24; Ettinghausen (1961A), fig.5). For a discussion of Hashim and a list of his works, ‘see’ Beach (1978), 126-30.