Calligraphic Emblem of `Ali Jinab Navab Sayyid Mustafa `Ali Khan Sahib Bahadur
early 19th century
Description
Tughra, a stylized calligraphic insignia or signature, comes in different forms. The design shown here—comprising repeated vertical shafts (“flags”), concentric loops (“eggs”), and tails (“daggers”)—is typically identified with Ottoman sultans but was adopted by some Muslim rulers in India. It gives the name ʿAli Jinab Navab Sayyid Mustafa ʿAli Khan Sahib Bahadur and ends with the Arabic phrase “May his prosperity be everlasting” (dama iqbaluhu). The honorific titles indicate that the person was probably a ruler of a princely state during the British India period. The sinuous calligraphic emblem is placed amidst a field of large pink roses to create this flamboyant composition.
Dimensions
26.9 x 35.2 cm (10 9/16 x 13 7/8 in.)
Provenance
[Oliver Hoare, London, 23 April 1982], sold; to Edwin Binney, 3rd, 1982, bequest; to Harvard University Art Museums, 1985.
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