id:			170787
accession number:	2013.294
share license status:	CC0
url:			https://clevelandart.org/art/2013.294
updated:		2023-03-22 03:04:57.830000

A Mughal courtier, c. 1575; border added probably 1700s. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). Gum tempera and gold on paper, mounted with gold-sprinkled borders; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection 2013.294

title:				A Mughal courtier
title in original language:	
series:				
series in original language:	
creation date:			c. 1575; border added probably 1700s
creation date earliest:		1570
creation date latest:		1580
current location:		
creditline:			Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection
copyright:			

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culture:	Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)
technique:	Gum tempera and gold on paper, mounted with gold-sprinkled borders
department:	Indian and Southeast Asian Art
collection:	Indian Art - Mughal
type:		Painting
find spot:	
catalogue raisonne: 

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CREATORS

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measurements: 
state of the work:	
edition of the work: 	

support materials:


inscriptions:

	inscription:	Inscription in top margin, upside-down in nasta‘liq script, probably added c. 1700s:
Sarkhod
	translation:	
	remark:		

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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

	title:		Martial Art of India (Indian Painting rotation)
	opening date:   2022-02-11T05:00:00
	<i>Martial Art of India (Indian Painting rotation)</i>. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (February 11-August 21, 2022).

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LEGACY EXHIBITIONS

* <em>A Flower From Every Meadow</em>. Asia House Gallery, New York, NY; Center for Asian Art and Culture, San Francisco, CA; Albright-Know Gallery of Art, Buffalo, New York, NY (1973).

* <em>Akbar's India: Art from the Mughal City of Victory</em>. Asia Society, New York, NY (October 10, 1985-January 5, 1986); Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, MA (January 24-March 16, 1986); Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX (April 19-June 15, 1986).

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PROVENANCE

	Hagop Kevorkian [1872–1962], New York, NY
	date: 
	footnotes: 	
	citations: 	


	(Sotheby’s, London, Highly Important Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures: The Property of the Kevorkian Foundation, 6 December 1967, lot 114, sold to Ralph Benkaim)
	date: December 6, 1967
	footnotes: 	
	citations: 	


	Ralph Benkaim [1914–2001] and
Catherine Glynn Benkaim [b. 1946], Beverly Hills, CA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
	date: 1967–2013
	footnotes: 	
	citations: 	


	The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
	date: 2013–
	footnotes: 	
	citations: 	


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fun fact:


digital description:


wall description:
This sensitive portrait is among the earliest surviving individual portraits from the Mughal atelier. He remains unidentified by inscription, since such portraits were made for the emperor Akbar who was unable to read. Realism in portraiture developed under Akbar as a means of keeping records of gifts and promotions without written notations. The figure conspicuously grasps the maroon and gold scarf in his left hand, which suggests that it may have been the gift from the emperor that would have occasioned the portrait. The array of blades he carries indicates that he was conscripted into military service at the Mughal court.
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RELATED WORKS

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CITATIONS

	Sotheby's, London. <em>Catalogue of Highly Important Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures The Property of the Kevorkian Foundation</em>.6 December 1967.
	page number: 	Lot 114
	url:		

	Welch, Stuart Cary, and Mark Zebrowski.<em> A Flower from Every Meadow: Indian Paintings from American Collections</em>. New York: Asia Society; distributed by New York Graphic Society, 1973.
	page number: 	no. 56
	url:		

	Brand, Michael, and Glenn D. Lowry. <em>Akbar's India: Art from the Mughal City of Victory</em>. New York: Asia Society Galleries, 1985.
	page number: 	cat. no. 53
	url:		

	Mace, Sonya Rhie, Mohsen Ashtiany, Catherine Glynn, Pedro Moura Carvalho, Marcus Fraser, and Ruby Lal. <em>Mughal Paintings: Art and Stories: the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. London: D Giles Limited, 2016.
	page number: 	cat. no. 6, p. 183
	url:		

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IMAGES

web:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2013.294/2013.294_web.jpg
print:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2013.294/2013.294_print.jpg
full:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2013.294/2013.294_full.tif