Indian, Agra
Miniature of Mumtaz Mahal, 19th century
Watercolor and gilding on ivory , 4.9 x 3.8 cm (1 15/16 x 1 1/2 in.)
General admission for children 17 years and under is always free
This oval portrait depicts a young woman dressed in brightly colored robes and a fancy headdress. This young fair skinned woman is seated and turned slightly to our left. She has very large dark brown eyes and gazes peacefully to our left. Her very fancy headdress has a scalloped green tiara with three red and white jeweled medallions at the front center. There are black and white feathers projecting upward in the center. The square-shaped crown of the headpiece is gold with red diagonal designs. A white tassel hangs over her left ear. She wears fancy earrings with many jeweled segments hanging to her shoulders. She wears a fancy gold dress that has a gold and red stripe down the center. The robe she wears is dark blue with small gold flowers throughout and is decorated with gold and pink ribbon designs at her shoulder and down the front edge. She wears two large necklaces each with a jeweled medallion hanging at her chest. There is a deep red curtain draped behind her with gold trim visible to our right.
Macknight Room
Commentary
This miniature portrait is one of three which memorialize Isabella Stewart Gardner’s visit to Agra, India. This one depicts Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631), the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's chief consort, for whom the mausoleum known as the Taj Mahal was built. Isabella Stewart Gardner traveled extensively in Asia and visited the Taj Mahal in March of 1884. In a letter to her friend Maud Howe, she wrote “The Taj perfect—a pearl.”