PORTRAIT OF MAHARAJA BHIM KANWAR, ATTRIBUTABLE TO NANHA, MUGHAL, AMBER, RAJASTHAN, CIRCA 17TH CENTURY

Opaque water colour and gold on paper.
The verso with black devanagari identificatory inscription, pasted between plain card margins.
23.5 by 16.5 cm.

Maharaja Bhim Kunwar wears a diaphanous jama tied to the left, an ornately decorated patka, or sash, and a sword hanging from his waist. He is set against a cyan background, typical of portraiture of the early seventeenth century.

Bhim Kunwar, son of the Rajput ruler of Mewar, Rana Amar Singh, was given the title of maharaja by Shah Jahan, and was a staunch supporter and ally of the Mughal house. As demonstrated by the inclusion of his portrait in the Shah Jahan Album, Hindu nobility featured prominently in the ranks of the Mughal empire; Shah Jahan himself was the son of a Rathor Rajput princess.