The Darbâr of Akbar Shah II (r. 1806-37), India, Delhi, late - Lot 239

The Darbâr of Akbar Shah II (r. 1806-37), India, Delhi, late 19th century, painting signed Zulfiqar 'Ali Khan Miniature painted with gouache and gold on a rectangular ivory plate, depicting an audience scene (durbar or darbâr), given by the Mughal emperor Akbar Shah II (r. 1806-37). The sovereign is depicted in the center, aged and seated on an ornate canopied throne topped by two peacocks. On either side, an assembly of men, including his children and a European. The scene is captioned at the top in gold-backed cartouches, in Persian: "Darbâr Akbar Shah Thanî" and signed in Persian and English: "Zulfiqar 'Ali Khan". In a gilded wood frame. 18 x 14 cm Old restoration in the upper right corner, wear and small accidents on the frame. CITES document issued by the Kingdom of Belgium n° 2026/BE00615/CE. This miniature illustrates a darbâr (public audience) ceremony of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Akbar Shah, known as Akbar II (r. 1806-1837). The scene takes place in the Diwan-i Khas of Delhi's Red Fort, where the sovereign grants an audience to a gathering of men, in whose midst he appears, seated on the Peacock Throne. Among the guests are his sons, the future Bahadur Shah and Mizra Jahangir, as well as a European in tricorn on the left, identifiable as Sir David Ochterlony (1758-1825), British resident from 1818 to 1822, placing the scene around 1820. Shortly before the beginning of Akbar II's reign, the British had established their power in India. This type of audience is a frequent subject in Mughal painting, making this miniature part of a tradition enriched here by European influence, notably in the use of perspective and the representation of numerous three-quarter figures. This scene has been depicted several times with the same composition, the same protagonists, with simple variations in color, decoration, format or support. Examples include the painting on paper in the British Library, London, attributed to the 1820s (Add. Or. 3079), and the painting on ivory in the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio (2004,55). Some of the earliest darbâr paintings are attributable to the Delhi court painter Ghulam Murtaza Khan, and other copies followed, probably as souvenirs for the British. This was certainly the case with this work, which features captions in English.