f.20
recto:

Lioness, early 17th century.

A lioness, whose body is discretely outlined in gold, rests on the grass beside a leafy tree toward which her head is turned.


verso:

Prince Sipihr-Shukoh and two yogis, late 17th century.

A moonlit scene on a palace terrace: Mughal Prince Sipihr-Shukoh (1644-1708), the fourth son of Dara-Shukoh, kneels on a carpet listening to a yogi (Hindu ascetic) playing the vina, as a second yogi sits nearby with his hand resting on a short crutch. In the foreground, an attendant pours wine from a long-necked flask.

Sipihr-Shukoh’s father, Prince Dara-Shukoh, had a deep interest in religion and wrote 'The Confluence of the Two Seas' on the common threads of Islamic Sufism and Hindu Vedanta philosophy. He likely encouraged his children to build relationships with both Muslim and Hindu spiritual guides.


For further information on this album see RCIN 1005069.