20th May, 2026 11:00
Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026
23
‡ A MUGHAL PRINCELY FIGURE, POSSIBLY DARA SHIKOH, INDIA, EARLY 18TH CENTURY
in ink on paper, a finely executed image of the standing figure in profile, wearing a sword, katar and a feathered turban, image 9.2 x 17.2cm, folio 22 x 34cm, framed and glazed.
The portrait bears particularly close resemblance to two portraits of Prince Dara Shikoh (d. 1659), one of them painted by Chitarman (Falk and Archer 1981, p. 401, no. 71; p. 411, no. 106). The painting has been later mounted into borders and margins from a copy of the Farhang-i Jahangiri, the dictionary of the Persian language prepared for Jahangir in 1608, which is recognisable for its blue or red borders decorated with gold flowers and outer borders illuminated in gold arabesques and animals. This Mughal copy of the Farhang-i Jahangiri was probably split by the dealer Georges Demotte in Paris in the 1920s and remounted around Mughal paintings. Two Mughal paintings mounted within Farhang-i Jahangiri borders and margins were sold at Christies, 25 June 2020, lots 81 and 82.
Sold for £6,000
in ink on paper, a finely executed image of the standing figure in profile, wearing a sword, katar and a feathered turban, image 9.2 x 17.2cm, folio 22 x 34cm, framed and glazed.
The portrait bears particularly close resemblance to two portraits of Prince Dara Shikoh (d. 1659), one of them painted by Chitarman (Falk and Archer 1981, p. 401, no. 71; p. 411, no. 106). The painting has been later mounted into borders and margins from a copy of the Farhang-i Jahangiri, the dictionary of the Persian language prepared for Jahangir in 1608, which is recognisable for its blue or red borders decorated with gold flowers and outer borders illuminated in gold arabesques and animals. This Mughal copy of the Farhang-i Jahangiri was probably split by the dealer Georges Demotte in Paris in the 1920s and remounted around Mughal paintings. Two Mughal paintings mounted within Farhang-i Jahangiri borders and margins were sold at Christies, 25 June 2020, lots 81 and 82.
Auction: Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026, 20th May, 2026
The sale includes the collection of Robert Skelton OBE, curator of Indian Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It comprises some exquisite 18th and 19th century Indian paintings and drawings as well as a fine group of modern Indian paintings with works by Shiavax Chavda (1914 - 1990), Francis Newton Souza (1924 - 2002), K Laxma Goud (B. 1940) and Jayashree Chakravarty (B. 1956). Tiles, Indian bronzes, thewa boxes, a silver gilt ewer, a ‘Koftgari’ pen box and a Mughal carved black jade dagger are also among the lots in this collection.
Also in the same sale is 10th -12th century Persian pottery, a monumental pair of 19th century doors, Persian and Syrian ceramics including tiles, also Iznic tiles from Ottoman Anatolia. Other lots include Indian bronze figures, small furniture, textiles and rugs.
Auction Location: London, UK
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 17th May: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
CONTACT
indianandislamic@olympiaauctions.com + 44 (0)20 7806 5545
