CC0 · no rights reserved
Portrait Jewel of Emperor Jahangir
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The fourth Mughal emperor of India, Jahangir, had tiny portraits of himself made to give as gifts to his friends, family, and nobles of the court as a sign of royal favor. These portraits were mounted and worn as jewels or turban ornaments. The carpet or textile under his hands references the covered rail of a balcony where the emperor addressed the public three times a day to hear complaints or petitions.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePortrait Jewel of Emperor Jahangir, early 1600s. Mughal India, court of Jahangir (reigned 1605–27). Gum tempera and gold on paper; image: 4.8 x 3.2 cm (1 7/8 x 1 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1944.496
