

C.1589-1630
Portrait of Emperor Shah Jahangir, 1569-1627
Mughal miniature, opaque watercolour and
burnished gold leaf, 20 x 14cm
Inscribed ‘Jahangir etc.’, with further Hindi inscription and
gold leaf verso
Shah Jahangir was the son of Akbar the Great and father of
Shah Jahan, the creator of the Taj Mahal.
€ 400 - 600
113 AN 18TH CENTURY EAST INDIAN DEPICTION OF THE FESTIVAL OF THE HINDU GODDESSDURGA
Gouache and gold leaf on paper, 34 x 30cm
Provenance: Acquired by the owner’s uncle (a
collector of Indian art) during World War II
The goddess Durga acts as the united front of all divine forces
against the effects of evil within the Hindu religion. As is
customary, she is dressed in red and holds several objects to
symbolise her
characteristics: the ‘sudarshan chakra’ depicting the world at
her will, the bow and arrow to represent
energy, the conch shell to show Durga as holding God in the
form of sound, the sword symbolising
knowledge, the thunderbolt strength and her eight hands
as eight sections of Hinduism. The lion at her feet acts to
enhance her power and strength.
To Durga’s right are those worshipping her, whilst her left
is filled with other deities, including her sons, Ganesh and
Skurda, and her spouse, Shiva.
Her feast day ‘Vijaya Dashami’ is celebrated worldwide each
October.
€ 1,000 - 2,000
114 A LARGE VICTORIAN PAPIER MÀCHÉ MODEL OF AN ELEPHANT,105 X 82cm
€ 500 - 800