Wine Cup Of Shah Jahan

The wine cup of Shah Jahan is a wine cup of white nephrite jade that was made for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

The cup has a gourd shape, like in a paisley design. The handle is shaped like the head of a ram. The bottom features acanthus leaves and a lotus flower, which is the pedestal. The cup is inscribed with his title, "Second Lord of the Conjunction", following the conventions of royal titulature in the Persian-speaking world. It specifically alludes to Timur, the central Asian ruler from whom the Mughals were descended. The artist who created the cup is unknown.

History

The cup is dated 1067 of the Islamic calendar and regnal year 31, which converts to 1657 CE. The place of production was India. The length is 18.7 cm and width is 14 cm. It was acquired in the 19th century by Colonel Charles Seton Guthrie, most probably after the Indian rebellion of 1857. It was formerly in the possession of R. M. W. Walker, on whose death it was sold by Christie & Co (12/7/1945, lot 146) and passed from the purchasers, Messrs Spink, to Queen Maria of Yugoslavia. It again came into the hands of Spink, who then sold it to Mr Lazarus, who discovered the inscription and sold it back to the vendors. It was acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1962.

Characteristics

According to the V&A Museum, the design of the cup reflects the variety of artistic and cultural influences that were present at the Mughal court in the mid-17th century. The overall shape of the vessel resembling a gourd derives from Chinese decorative traditions, while the lotus petals and naturalistic animal portraiture, such as the ram’s head forming the handle, are characteristic of indigenous Hindu art. The use of acanthus leaves in the base, along with the concept of a pedestal support, reveals the absorption of European classical motifs, which were also echoed in contemporary Mughal architecture under Shah Jahan.

The Museum views this eclectic combination of elements as exemplifying the openness of the Mughal court to diverse artistic traditions. The Mughals, Persian in heritage and Indian by rule, actively engaged with global ideas. Jesuit missionaries, though unsuccessful in converting the emperors, were welcomed for their learning; foreign ambassadors and merchants were received for their trade and exotic gifts. Most notably, craftsmen and artisans from abroad were valued for their skills and the introduction of unfamiliar technologies.

Further reading

* Swallow, Deborah and John Guy eds. Arts of India: 1550-1900. Text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow. London : V&A Publications, 1990, pp. 94-95, ill. no. 73.
* Robert Skelton, The Shah Jahan cup, V&A Masterpiece leaflet
* Susan Stronge, 'Colonel Guthrie's Collection', Oriental Art, vol. XXXIX, no. 4, 1993-4, fig. 1 p. 5.
* Rosemary Crill, in The Indian Heritage. Court Life and Arts under Mughal Rule, V&A, 1982, cat. 318, p.111, .

See also

*Wine accessory
*Wine tasting

References

External links

Victoria and Albert Museum, Wine cup of Shah Jahan

{{Wines

Asian objects in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Mughal art
Red Fort
Wine accessories
Individual hardstone carvings
Indian wine
17th century in India
Individual drinking vessels
Indian artifacts held abroad