Arms and Armour Collection
A GOLD-OVERLAID WATERED-STEEL SHIELD, PERSIA, EARLY 19TH CENTURY of domed circular form with four applied bosses with gold overlaid decoration at the outer ring, comprising wholly of cusped cartouches filled with animal motifs…
The Islamic Dyansties
This schematic chart provides a simplified picture of the political complexities of certain periods. (Large parts of Central Asia, China, South-east Asia and Africa have been omitted.) www patternsinislamicart com Spain…
Wazir Khan Mosque Lahore
The Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, is famous for its extensive tile work and frescos. It was built in seven years starting around 1634–1635 AD during the reign of the Mughal Emperor…
Kashmir & Shawls of Paisley Design
Shawls of Paisley design were in fashion for nearly 100 years, from around 1780 until the 1870’s. During this time millions were woven, embroidered and printed in Kashmir, Persia, India, Russia, USA and…
Mughal Gardens in Kashmir
By the time Kashmir passed into the hands of the Mughals in the 16th C., these gardens embedded with the Persian spirit were already established in Kashmir. What perhaps the Mughals did later…
The Agra Fort
Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the…
Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal Textile Art
In traditional Islamic society, textiles and dress played a significantly greater socio-cultural role than in the western world. A crucial item of furnishing in the Islamic world, the carpet served not merely as…
Reading Masjid Wazir Khan
Wazir Khan’s Mosque, in the heart of the Walled City of Lahore, is one of the most thoroughly documented and discussed of our monuments. In 1887, Kipling (John Lockwood, father of Rudyard) discussed…
Domes & Arches of Shah Jehan Mosque (Thatta)
The Shah Jehan Mosque (Grand Mosque) is located in Thatta (Province of Sindh, PAKISTAN). bhong masjid mosque art arabic architecture Shah Mosque mosque patterns
The Shah Jehan (Emperor’s) Album
The Shah Jahan Album, also known as the Emperor’s Album or Kevorkian Album, features fifty illustrated and calligraphy folios, forty-one of which belong to the Metropolitan Museum, and nine of which reside in…
Mughal Art after 1600
After the death of Akbar, architect of the Mughal empire and active patron of the arts, his son Jahangir (r. 1605–27) ascended to the throne. As a prince, Jahangir had established his own…
Rosette (shamsa)
This shamsa is an exquisite example of the art of illumination in the Mughal period. The profusion and gem-like detail of the floral decoration of the rosette, set along scrolling vines, can be…
