Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso)

portrait ca. 1638-1650, borders between 1650 and 1658

Mughal, Indian

Not On View

Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso)

Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso): 1 of Collection Gallery

Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso): 2 of Collection Gallery

Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso): 3 of Collection Gallery

Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso): 4 of Collection Gallery

Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso): 5 of Collection Gallery

Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso): 6 of Collection Gallery

Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso): 7 of Collection Gallery

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Provenance

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Exhibition History

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Published References

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Catalogue Raisonné

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About the Artwork

The man at the center of this page wears lavishly brocaded robes that point to his high rank and a round style of turban associated with the northwestern areas of the Mughal empire, which stretched from central India to present-day Afghanistan. The portrait represents Sa‘id Khan, a powerful commander who was honored with the title Zafarjang, meaning “victorious in battle.” He served as governor of Kabul province for emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1628 – 58).
In the 1650s, artists in Mughal India attached the portrait to a larger page and framed it with figures holding swords and shields — reinforcing Sa‘id Khan Zafarjang’s military identity. The page, with imagery on both sides, was bound into an album of calligraphy and paintings created for Shah Jahan toward the end of his reign. Known as the Late Shah Jahan Album, this collection of artworks is now dispersed.

Title Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso)

Artwork Date portrait ca. 1638-1650, borders between 1650 and 1658

Artist ----------

Life Dates ----------

Nationality Please note: Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events. Some definitions include: Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation. Indian

Culture Please note: Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group. Mughal

Medium Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper

Dimensions Overall: 15 3/16 × 9 7/8 inches (38.6 × 25.1 cm) Image: 8 1/4 × 4 3/8 inches (21 × 11.1 cm)

Classification Paintings

Department Islamic Art

Credit Museum Purchase, Robert H. Tannahill Foundation Fund

Accession Number This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection. Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings. For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups. 2019.98.B

Markings

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Provenance

between 1650-58, commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan;
1739, assumed to be looted by Afsharid ruler Nadir Shah and taken to Iran.
late 19th century, taken to Russia by brother of Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah;
late 19th century, sold to Armenian dealer (Russia).
1909, purchased by (Georges Demotte [1877-1923], Paris, France).
Leila Diba Collection (New York, New York, USA).
Sarikhani Collection (London, England).
Al Thani Collection (London, England and Paris, France);
consigned to (Christie's, New York, New York, USA);
2019-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

For more information on provenance, please visit:

Provenance page

Exhibition History

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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.

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Published References

Hillenbrand, Robert, et. al. The Sarikhani Collection: An Introduction. London, 2011, p. 17 [portrait only].

Treasures from the Al Thani Collection: The Palace Museum and the Al Thani Collection. Beijing, 2018, cat. no. 177, pp. 462-465.

Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence. Sales cat., Christie's. New York, 2019, lot no. 76, pp. 106–107.

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Catalogue Raisoneé

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Credit Line for Reproduction

Mughal, Indian, Portrait of Sa'id Khan Zafarjang, Folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (verso), portrait ca. 1638-1650, borders between 1650 and 1658, opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper. Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum Purchase, Robert H. Tannahill Foundation Fund, 2019.98.B.