Intriguing painting of the 1st Shii Imam/4th Caliph Hazrat Ali with his sons Imam(s) Hasan & Husayn (@ChristiesInc 2013/SaeedMotamedColl).
Dated 1254AH(1838/39), possibly Lucknow or Delhi. The imams are referred to by their Sunni honorifics.
Via @cyber_idiaz on twittee
The verses at the top and bottom seem to be from a qasīda by Zahīr Fāryābī in praise of Nusrat-ud-dīn Abū Bakr bin Muhammad, Atābak of Azerbaijan:
زمین ببوس و بنه جاودان ذخیره عمر
که کیمیای حیاتست خاک این درگاه
چگفت گفت که رویت بقبله کرمت
نیاز عرضه کن و حاجتی که هست بخواه
Rough translation:
Kiss the ground and set down forever the provisions of a lifetime // for the dust of this court is the elixir of life
What did he say? He said, “You’re facing the Qibla of favors // so state your petitions and wish for what you need”
Via @aakalimullah
Mohd Taqi adds on twitter : While Karram-Allah-u Wajhahu is common to all sects, RA indicates Sunni influence. The fourth inscription inset saying معجز قلم خوش رقم probably has the artist/calligrapher name(s). La’l & Mir Ali or something like that. Wonder if the artist drew himself as the man standing last.
And the Indian features and complexion of the Imams is a departure from their usual depictions, even in the South Asian art. Amazing Indianization and intriguing indeed.
