#mughal

[xanaxfarts]

‘Jade Bowl’ + ‘The Shah Jahan Cup’ + ‘Leaf-Shaped Cup’ (17th/18th century)

[toyastales]

Stone bracelets, Mughal period, 18th–19th century.

[thelovelygods]

A Mughal Empress or Member of the Royal Family | The Wellcome Collection

[nobrashfestivity]

Hunhar II India, Murshidabad or Lucknow, Mughal, 18th century Women enjoying the river at the forest’s edge (recto) and flowering marigold (verso) c. 1765 Gum tempera and gold on paper Measurements Page: 33.1 x 24.9 cm (13 1/16 x 9 13/16 in.) The image of young women at play, in association with water and the fruiting of trees, such as this mango, has been used in Indian art to signal the idea of prosperity and abundance. Rain clouds approach that will nourish the land. The pairs of women on the banks sample perfumes, and in front of them bowls made of leaves appear to hold jasmine flowers for adorning the hair. One woman smokes a hookah and looks on as two companions frolic in the rivulet. The palace’s white marble buildings are barely indicated in the far distance. Mangoes are in varying stages of ripeness, from green to bright orange-yellow.

[weepingwidar]

Haya Zaidi (Pakistani, 1993) - In Revolt (2025)

[cottonpastel]

eid mubarak everyone! to celebrate, here's an

🐏 eid postcard set 🌟💫

all except one featuring actual paintings from historical manuscripts! i thought this would be a wonderful way to celebrate the eid while honoring islamic art.

download here

you should be able to find them in the build-buy catalogue by searching for "postcard". i actually wrote descriptions for each, giving credit to the original artworks but couldn't find a way to make them appear in the game 😒

@alwaysfreecc

so for anyone curious, here's the credits for the artworks:

from left to right, top to bottom:

Painting from a Shahnama manuscript, Shiraz, Iran. 1480. Today in Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. [link] (btw the subject is Alexander the Great's pilgrimage to the Ka'ba in Mecca lol)

Detail from Mir Sayyid Ali’s painting Majnun Visits Layli’s Camp, from Shah Tahmasp's manuscript of the Khamsa of Nizami. Tabriz, Iran. c. 1540s. Today in the British Library, London. [link] (i cut out the lovers, layli and majnun, bc i was interested in the sheep, oops)

Painting from the Dara Shikoh Album, Agra (?), India. c. 1630s. Today in the British Library, London. [unfortunately this one is not publicly available]

Painting from the Dara Shikoh Album, Agra (?), India. c. 1630s. Today in the British Library, London. [same album as in 3, not publicly available]

Painting from a Futuh al-Haramayn manuscript, probably Iran, c. 1525-1550. Today in Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. [link] (this one is from a pilgrimage guidebook)

edited screenshot that i took in-game haha

i guess sharing the info here has the advantage of giving more details and sharing the links. apologies this is very safavid and mughal focused, but those are the traditions that im most familiar with.

happy eid! xx cottonpastel

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Emerald Spectacles from India, c. 1620-1660 CE: the lenses of these spectacles were cut from a single emerald, and the original, uncut stone weighed more than 300 carats

These eyeglasses are also known by the name Astaneh-e ferdaws, meaning "Gate of Paradise," based on the symbolic associations between the color green and the concept of spiritual salvation or "paradise." Those associations, which are rooted in Islamic tradition, were especially common in Mughal India.

The lenses were crafted from two thin slices of the same emerald. Together, the lenses have a combined weight of about 27 carats, but given the precision, size, and shape of each lens, experts believe that the original emerald likely weighed in excess of 300 carats (more than sixty grams) before it was cleaved down in order to produce the lenses.

The emerald was found at a mine in Muzo, Colombia, and it was then transported across the Atlantic by Spanish or Portuguese merchants.

Each lens is encircled by rose-cut diamonds, which run along an ornate frame made of gold and silver. This diamond-studded frame was installed during the late 1800s, when modern stylistic elements were incorporated into the original pince-nez design.

The "Gate of Paradise" spectacles are often accompanied by a second pair of eyeglasses that were created during the same period, and they were almost certainly commissioned by the same person; these other spectacles are known by the name Halqeh-e nur, meaning "Halo of Light," and they feature lenses that were cleaved from a single diamond.

It's estimated that the original, uncut diamond weighed about 200-300 carats, which would make it one of the largest uncut diamonds ever discovered.

The lenses are so clear and so flat that they sometimes seem almost invisible.

Both sets of spectacles date back to the mid-1600s, and it's believed that they were commissioned by a Mughal emperor or prince. The identity of that person is still a bit of a mystery, but it has been widely speculated that the patron was Shah Jahan -- the Mughal ruler who famously commissioned the Taj Mahal after the death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan ruled as the Mughal emperor from about 1628 to 1658.

The emerald and diamond lenses may have served some symbolic, sentimental, or cultural purpose, or they may have been chosen simply because they're pretty and extravagant. Their original purpose and significance remains unclear, but there is evidence to suggest that the spectacles were actually designed to be worn by someone.

Mystical properties have long been attributed to these spectacles; it's believed that they can promote healing, ward off evil, impart wisdom, and/or bring the wearer closer to enlightenment. Those beliefs mostly stem from Indic and Islamic traditions that associate each of the gemstones with specific spiritual qualities. Emeralds are associated with spiritual salvation, healing, cleansing, and eternal life, while diamonds are associated with enlightenment, wisdom, celestial light, and mysticism.

The "Gate of Paradise" and the "Halo of Light" spectacles were both kept in the collections of a wealthy Indian family until 1980, when they were sold to private collectors, and they were then put up for auction once again in 2021. They were most recently valued at about $2 million to $3.4 million per pair.

Sources & More Info:

Sotheby's: Mughal Spectacles

Architectural Digest of India: At Sotheby's auction, Mughal-era eyeglasses made of diamond and emerald create a stir

Only Natural Diamonds: Auspicious Sight & the Halqeh-e Nur Spectacles

The Royal Society Publishing: Cleaving the Halqeh-Ye Nur Diamonds

Gemological Institution of America: Two Antique Mughal Spectacles with Gemstone Lenses

Manuscript: From Satan's Crown to the Holy Grail: emeralds in myth, magic, and history

CNN: The $3.5 million Spectacles Said to Ward off Evil

BBC: Rare Mughal Era Spectacles to be Auctioned by Sotheby's

[baebeylik]

The Siege of Baghdad by Tahir, from the Tarikh-i-Alfi. Mughal Court. India, 1592-1594.

The Smithsonian Asian Art Museum.