Two Mughal Princesses Hunting Gamer Birds from the St. Petersburg Album

Mughal Court Mughal School The borders (signed by M. Baqir) surrounding the painting are decorated in gold with animals in formalized landscapes. The borders (signed and dated 1757-58 by M. Hadi) surrounding the six panels of nasta'liq calligraphy are decorated with large floral arabesques in silver and gold on dark blue. Borders surrounding the painting signed by M. Baqir. To 1739 Mughal Imperial Library, Delhi, to 1739 [1] To late 19th century Persian Imperial Library, to late 19th century [2] B y late 19th century Russian Imperial Library (probably), by late 19th century [3] Private collection, Europe [4] To 1994 Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd., New York City, to 1994 From 1994 Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd. in 1994 Notes: [1] Indian paintings in the St. Petersburg Album were taken from Delhi, India in the 1739 sack of the imperial capital of the Mughal dynasty (1526-1858) by Nadir Shah of Persia. Many of the finest Mughal paintings were included in the loot, and several were assembled (in Iran) into an album. In the later 19th century, the album was taken apart and dispersed in Europe - with the major portion ending up in the Russian Imperial Collections. Other works were sold through the art market at that time. All known pages from the St. Petersburg Album have been out of Iran for a century, and the Indian paintings were taken from India more than 250 years ago (see Curatorial Note 5, Milo C. Beach, March 4, 1994, in the object record). [2] See note 1. [3] See note 1. [4] See note 1. Freer Gallery of Art Collection Honoring Friends: Recent Gifts by Members of the Freer and Sackler Galleries (June 10 to November 25, 2001) Mughal Imperial Library Persian Imperial Library Russian Imperial Library Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd.