Shah Jahan holding a spinel and a long Deccan sword, from the Late Shah Jahan Album
1650
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a Mughal emperor in a red robe, holding a blood-red gem and a curved sword. Tiny angels float above his turban, and a lion naps beside a lamb at his feet. This portrait comes from an album made for Shah Jahan himself. Only emperors get the angels and the lion-and-lamb combo—symbols of peace and power blessed by heaven. The sun and moon glow behind his head like a halo. If you like this quiet royal drama, look up Mughal next.
