King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, Indian Miniature 6.5 x 9.5 inches, 20th c.
3.25 x 4 inches, Gold and Paint
Barbara Valentine, Royal Miniature Society
Barbara Valentine’s miniature is 12.9 x 11 cm, about 1/6 the size of the a c.1410 panel painting by an unknown painter referred to as Upper Rhenish Master. The original is 26.3 x 33.4 cm. This scene is a cropped version of the original, focusing on the left side. In contrast to depictions typical of the Middle Ages, the Virgin Mary is not seated in the center of the image but in the corner, engrossed in a book. She is surrounded by Saints; to the left Saint Dorothy is plucking a cherry, below her Saint Barbara is drawing water from a well, and to the lower-right Saint Cecilia holds a psaltery on which the Child Jesus plucks the strings. The original painting was also one of the earliest to naturalistically depict flora and fauna.
Barbara’s version is freely painted and has a softer effect, yet radiates all of the beauty and feeling of life as the original.
From Wikipedia
The denomination Upper Rhenish Master refers to an artist active ca. 1410–20. The most famous painting of the artist is Paradiesgärtlein (Little Garden of Paradise), a mixed-technique painting on oakwood, 26.3 x 33.4 cm.
In this famous painting, the artist depicts a secluded scene, with Mary the Mother and Jesus the Child in a secluded corner of a castle garden, a peaceful place protected by a wall from the violent outer world. The painter applies the concept of "hortus conclusus," described by Albertus Magnus of Cologne, philosopher and father of the church:
"hortus conclusus" (Lat. 'enclosed garden') a representation of the Virgin and Child in a fenced garden. The garden is a symbolic allusion to a phrase in the Song of Songs (4:12): 'A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse'.
Barbara Valentine’s miniature framed
The Royal Miniature Society was granted its Royal Charter in 1905 by King Edward VII, three years after his coronation in 1902.
Below, the coronation casket of King Edward VII in the collection of the Yuko Nii Foundation.
An incredibly detailed miniature of Indian court life.
The Colophon
A Black Muslim Army
In the Persian epic of Shahnameh, Div- e Sepid (White Demon/Div) is the chieftain of the Deevs of Mazandaran. He is a huge being and is skilled in sorcery. He destroys the army of Kay Kavus by conjuring a dark storm of hail, boulders, and tree trunks. He then captures Kay Kavus, his commanders, and paladins; he blinds them and imprisons them in a dungeon. The greatest Persian mythical hero Rostam undertakes his “Seven Labours” to free his sovereign. In the end, Rostam slays Deev-e Sefid and uses his heart and blood to cure the blindness of the king and the captured Persian heroes. Rostam also takes the Deev’s head as a helmet and is often pictured wearing it as in the following pages.
On the next page is the illustration of Rustam's encounter with the div Akvan, showing the hero in the water while the evil div looks on from the shore, is as pictures Rustam asleep on a piece of sod held aloft by the div, who offers him the ch oice to be thrown to death onto the rocky mountains or into the sea. Rustam, knowing that the div will do the opposite, chose the mountains and thus survives the perils of the sea.
15th century French illumination from a Book of Hours
Japanese Illumination Edo Period
A Great Love Story
Mughal Emperor King Shah-Jahan & Queen Mumtaz
From Wikipedia
Upon his accession to the throne in 1629,[33] Shah Jahan designated Mumtaz as his chief empress with the title of 'Malika-i-Jahan' ("Queen of the World")[6] and 'Malika-uz-Zamani' ("Queen of the Age")and mallikai-hindustan ("Queen of the hindustan"). Mumtaz's tenure as empress was brief, spanning a period of only three years due to her untimely death, nonetheless, Shah Jahan bestowed her with luxuries that no other empress was given before her. For example, no other empress' residence was as decorated as Khas Mahal (part of Agra Fort), where Mumtaz lived with Shah Jahan. It was decorated with pure gold and precious stones and had rose-water fountains of its own. Each wife of the Mughal emperor was given a regular monthly allowance for her gastos (housekeeping or travelling expenses); the highest such allowance on record is the one million rupees per year given to Mumtaz Mahal by Shah Jahan.
Shah Jahan consulted Mumtaz in both private matters and the affairs of the state, and she served as his close confidant and trusted adviser. At her intercession, he forgave enemies or commuted death sentences.[ His trust in her was so great that he gave her the highest honour of the land – his imperial seal, the Mehr Uzaz,[38] which validated imperial decrees.
Mumtaz also patronized a number of poets, scholars and other talented persons.
A noted Sanskrit poet, Vansidhara Mishra, was the Empress's favourite.[21] On the recommendation of her principal lady-in-waiting, Sati-un-Nissa, Mumtaz Mahal provided pensions and donations to the daughters of poor scholars, theologians, and pious men.[41] It was quite common for women of noble birth to commission architecture in the Mughal Empire, so Mumtaz devoted some time to a riverside garden in Agra, which is now known as Zahara Bagh. It is the only architectural foundation which can be connected to her patronage.
Under his reign, the Mughal Empire reached the peak of its cultural glory.[8] with Mumtaz Mahal has been heavily adapted into Indian art, literature and cinema. He owned the royal treasury and several precious stones such as the Kohinoor. Although an able military commander, Shah Jahan is best remembered for his architectural achievements. His reign ushered in the golden age of Mughal architecture. Shah Jahan commissioned many monuments, the best known of which is the Taj Mahal in Agra, in which is entombed his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. His relationship and has thus often been regarded as the wealthiest Indian in history.
