The ruler of Hamadan discovers the debauched Quazi

The name of the Master artist La’lchand can be seen in the bottom right comer. A Qazi is a Muslim teacher or wise man. This painting illustrates a Persian poet’s story showing the drunken Qazi and his young lover woken at sunrise by the King and courtiers. It was made during the reign of Shah Jahan and Persian influence can be seen in the use of blue and green colours, the sumptuous setting with the central figure lying on a carpet with fruit and wine to hand, and the fine detail of the painting, especially the faces of the courtiers. The costumes of the men fasten under the right arm in Muslim style (Hindu robes fasten under the left arm). The gold border is too narrow to be considered typically Persian but it does show the twining foliage of the Persian “arabesque”.

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