Object details
Object number
U11n2.3
Creator(s)
Indian, Agra
Title
Miniature of Mumtaz Mahal
Date
19th century
Medium
Watercolor and gilding on ivory
Dimensions
4.9 x 3.8 cm (1 15/16 x 1 1/2 in.)
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings
Inscribed in pencil (verso): Noori Jehan
Provenance
Possibly purchased by Isabella Stewart Gardner when she visited the Taj Mahal, Agra during her trip to India in March 1884.
Commentary
This miniature portrait is one of three which memorialize Isabella Stewart Gardner’s visit to Agra, India. This one depicts Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631), the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's chief consort, for whom the mausoleum known as the Taj Mahal was built. Isabella Stewart Gardner traveled extensively in Asia and visited the Taj Mahal in March of 1884. In a letter to her friend Maud Howe, she wrote “The Taj perfect—a pearl.”
Gallery
Macknight Room
Rights and reproductions
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