DOI Heft:
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DOI Artikel:Smith, Vincent A.: An alabaster relief bust of Shāh-Jahān
DOI Artikel:Overvoorde, J. C.: Herdenking van de stichting van Batavia
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19838#0182
but the body is shown to only a short distance below the armpits. The right hand, with
long, slender fingers, rests lightly upon the top of a marble slab or balustrade. The
pointed beard, trimmed whiskers, and moustache turried down at the ends agree exactly
with the painted portraits of Shah-jahan. The dress, a coat folded across the chest, with
the proper left flap uppermost, likewise agrees. In some portraits we also find the necklace
of pearls and the string of pearls fastened to the turban above the forehead. The turban,
with its royal aigrette, may likewise be found in the portraits. Dr. Vogel was inclined
to regard the bust as a likeness of Shah-jahan’s son and successor Aurangzeb, but to me
it seems beyond doubt to be that of Shah-jahan. Such difference of feature as may be
detected on comparison with the ‘miniatures’ seems to be chiefly due to the difference
in material. Naturally there is a certain amount of family resemblance between father and
son. I do not see any reason for supposing that Aurangzeb’s elder brother, Dara Shikoh,
was the original. In short, as already said, everything points to the correctness of the
judgement of the Museum authorities that the bust is that of Shah-jahan. The likeness
and details may be compared with the exquisite little inset portrait of Shah-jahan by
Muhammad Nadir of Samarkand in B. M. Add. Ms. 18,801, No. 40, reproduced in Plate
CXXIV of A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon (1911), and again in my Oxford
History of India (1919), p. 416. Other portraits of Shah-jahan will be found in the
book entitled Loan Collection of Antiquities, Coronation Darbar, 1911, published by the
Archaeological Survey of India, in plates XLII b., XLIV b. and XLVII b. An exception-
ally fine miniature from Colonel Hanna’s collection was perfectly reproduced in colour
in Constable’s annotated translation of Bernier’s Travels (1901); and an equally fine standing
portrait, taken at a more advanced age, from the. B. M. Add. Ms. 18,801, has been
reproduced by photogravure in my edition of the same work (Oxford University Press,
1914). In my judgement all those likenesses support the opinion of the Museum authorities
that the bust represents Shah-jahan. It does not agree with the likenesses of the emperor
Aurangzeb who reigned from 1658 to 1707, nor with his portraits as Prince, such as that
reproduced in both the editions of Bernier above mentioned.
VINCENT A. SMITH.
HERDENKING VAN DE STICHTING VAN BATAVIA.
Zoowel in Indië als in Nederland werd naar aanleiding van den 300sten gedenkdag
eene tentoonstelling gehouden. Te Batavia leverde de rijke verzameling van het Bataviaasch
genootschap den hoofdschotel, waarnaast slechts door de Portugeesche Buitenkerk en den
Gouverneur-Generaal en 12 particulieren werd ingezonden, waarvan er 11 te Weltevreden
gevestigd zijn. Waarschijnlijk heeft men het onnoodig geacht om van verder afgelegen
plaatsen nog inzendingen te vragen en aan het gevaar van transport bloot te stellen,
aangezien het Genootschap alleen reeds eene zoo belangrijke inzending kon leveren.
Toch schijnt het mij, dat de beteekenis der tentoonstelling zoude gewonnen hebben,
172
long, slender fingers, rests lightly upon the top of a marble slab or balustrade. The
pointed beard, trimmed whiskers, and moustache turried down at the ends agree exactly
with the painted portraits of Shah-jahan. The dress, a coat folded across the chest, with
the proper left flap uppermost, likewise agrees. In some portraits we also find the necklace
of pearls and the string of pearls fastened to the turban above the forehead. The turban,
with its royal aigrette, may likewise be found in the portraits. Dr. Vogel was inclined
to regard the bust as a likeness of Shah-jahan’s son and successor Aurangzeb, but to me
it seems beyond doubt to be that of Shah-jahan. Such difference of feature as may be
detected on comparison with the ‘miniatures’ seems to be chiefly due to the difference
in material. Naturally there is a certain amount of family resemblance between father and
son. I do not see any reason for supposing that Aurangzeb’s elder brother, Dara Shikoh,
was the original. In short, as already said, everything points to the correctness of the
judgement of the Museum authorities that the bust is that of Shah-jahan. The likeness
and details may be compared with the exquisite little inset portrait of Shah-jahan by
Muhammad Nadir of Samarkand in B. M. Add. Ms. 18,801, No. 40, reproduced in Plate
CXXIV of A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon (1911), and again in my Oxford
History of India (1919), p. 416. Other portraits of Shah-jahan will be found in the
book entitled Loan Collection of Antiquities, Coronation Darbar, 1911, published by the
Archaeological Survey of India, in plates XLII b., XLIV b. and XLVII b. An exception-
ally fine miniature from Colonel Hanna’s collection was perfectly reproduced in colour
in Constable’s annotated translation of Bernier’s Travels (1901); and an equally fine standing
portrait, taken at a more advanced age, from the. B. M. Add. Ms. 18,801, has been
reproduced by photogravure in my edition of the same work (Oxford University Press,
1914). In my judgement all those likenesses support the opinion of the Museum authorities
that the bust represents Shah-jahan. It does not agree with the likenesses of the emperor
Aurangzeb who reigned from 1658 to 1707, nor with his portraits as Prince, such as that
reproduced in both the editions of Bernier above mentioned.
VINCENT A. SMITH.
HERDENKING VAN DE STICHTING VAN BATAVIA.
Zoowel in Indië als in Nederland werd naar aanleiding van den 300sten gedenkdag
eene tentoonstelling gehouden. Te Batavia leverde de rijke verzameling van het Bataviaasch
genootschap den hoofdschotel, waarnaast slechts door de Portugeesche Buitenkerk en den
Gouverneur-Generaal en 12 particulieren werd ingezonden, waarvan er 11 te Weltevreden
gevestigd zijn. Waarschijnlijk heeft men het onnoodig geacht om van verder afgelegen
plaatsen nog inzendingen te vragen en aan het gevaar van transport bloot te stellen,
aangezien het Genootschap alleen reeds eene zoo belangrijke inzending kon leveren.
Toch schijnt het mij, dat de beteekenis der tentoonstelling zoude gewonnen hebben,
172