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Portrait of Shah Abu’l Ma’ali

Portrait of Shah Abu’l Ma’ali

16th century

Attributed to Mir Sayyid ‘Ali

Mughal

In this drawing, an elegant young man wearing the big, folded turban characteristic of the reign of Humayun kneels facing to the right. Beneath the figure a quatrain of Persian poetry extols angelic physical beauty.

Black ink, opaque watercolor and gold on beige paper

Mughal period

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