Artwork Page for A Mughal Prince, Perhaps Danyal, Holding a Sprig of Flowers

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A Mughal Prince, Perhaps Danyal, Holding a Sprig of Flowers

c. 1580–90

Mughal India, court of Akbar

(reigned 1556–1605)
Medium
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Measurements
Miniature: 14.6 x 8.7 cm (5 3/4 x 3 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection 2013.293
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Prince Danyal (1527–1605), the emperor Akbar’s youngest son, is said to have been his favorite. Danyal served his father as a military officer, leading contingents to the Deccan plateau in southern India, until he succumbed to an untimely death of alcoholism; Akbar himself died later that year.
Here, Danyal wears the thumb ring of an archer and grasps a white flower in his hand, recalling his epithet, Nosegay of Fortune’s Spring. In his right hand he holds prayer beads. A sword, knife, and dagger hang from his sash. This early Mughal portrait depicts him as he appeared in his mid-teens.
A vertically oriented gum tempera and gold painting on paper depicts Prince Danyal, a man with a medium-light skin tone and thin mustache, facing our right. He wears a peach tunic, white pants, and an orange patterned turban. Layered pearl necklaces hang around his neck. A patterned sash at his waist secures a red dagger case and a sword. He holds a sprig of white flowers and prayer beads against a muted green background.

A Mughal Prince, Perhaps Danyal, Holding a Sprig of Flowers

c. 1580–90

Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)

See Also

  • Collection
    Indian
  • Department
    Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Type of artwork
    Painting
  • Medium
    Tempera
  • Credit line
    Gift In Honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by Exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection

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