A Mughal officer listening to a singer

This picture shows Rajasthani influence because the faces are side view and of northern type. The officer’s costume has a Muslim-style right-hand fastening but is not so decorative as those of Golconda, though he does wear a gold turban. In the centre is a fish pond with a fountain. The dark green foliage of the pergola above could be from the Deccan school but there seems to be some indication of European influence here. The stylised foreground flowers are Deccani-style. The huqqa is definitely Deccani, being made of the celebrated silver-inlay Bidri ware. The ruler’s paan box is in front of him and he has a plate of rolled paan leaves (containing betel nut and other ingredients) to offer to his guests as a sign of dismissal.

Description taken from the ‘Art From The Indian Sub-Continent In The Sainsbury Centre’ catalogue by Margaret A. Willey (Sainsbury Centre, UEA, 1995).