portrait of a woman in profile from PR, wearing pearl on tragus (ear) and a gold hoop earring with pearls and drop with a green stone, strands of pearls with pink and green stones around her neck along with a necklace with pearl drop and red stone, and pearl strand with pink stone wrapped around a pink, gold, and grey hat-like turban; sheer garment with green and gold transparent wrap; woman holds a small white flower in her PR hand; text in four rectangular cartouches above and below portrait; green and pink floral borders; outer design on mount with red and gold flowers

Bust portrait of a lady wearing a man's turban, c. 1735-1740

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On View in Gallery 211expand_more

This portrait, conceived as a pair to the painting on the right, depicts a woman wearing a man's turban. Using the reductive, naturalistic style typical of early 1700s Mughal portraiture, the artist, Hunhar II celebrates what seems to have been a not uncommon happening within enclosed zananas (enclosed women’s domestic spaces) throughout India: cross-dressing was recorded at least since the time of Empress Nur Jahan (1577-1645). Laid down on its original floral trellis mat, a Persian verse written above the idealized beauty affirms the accomplishments of the artist: “The sleep of carelessness has carried off all, just one person [the artist] is awake.”

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Details
Title
Bust portrait of a lady wearing a man's turban
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2021.93.1
Curator Approved

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portrait of a woman in profile from PR, wearing pearl on tragus (ear) and a gold hoop earring with pearls and drop with a green stone, strands of pearls with pink and green stones around her neck along with a necklace with pearl drop and red stone, and pearl strand with pink stone wrapped around a pink, gold, and grey hat-like turban; sheer garment with green and gold transparent wrap; woman holds a small white flower in her PR hand; text in four rectangular cartouches above and below portrait; green and pink floral borders; outer design on mount with red and gold flowers