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Style Orientalism / Ref.14206

Pair of Indian Armchairs, Mughal period

Dimensions:
Width: 24''   61cm
Height: 36'' ⅝  93cm
Depth: 18'' ⅞  48cm

Origin:
India

This pair of wooden armchairs with richly carved ornamentation was executed in India towards the end of the Mughal era.

The Mughal dynasty ruled in India between 1526 and 1858. It began with the invasion of India by Babur, the descendant of the rulers of Samarkand. The Empire remained in India for over three centuries with remarkable stability and a sumptuous flourishing of social and cultural life.

The richness of the ornamentation of these armchairs attests to this. All wooden elements (front legs, crosspieces, armrests, backs, and even the stretcher) are covered with a richly carved decoration of interlacing and stylized floral or vegetal motifs inspired by the art of illumination (shamsa). The ends of the armrests are carved with lion heads.

The armchairs also feature painted cartouches set under glass, a particularly delicate technique requiring the application of several successive layers of paint under the glass. These depict portraits of characters from high society: a woman is seated on a golden throne, and the men wear numerous pearl jewels. Several of them hold a flower to their faces, a recurring motif in Mughal pictorial art.

The discreet and refined sumptuousness, as well as the care placed in the execution of these armchairs, testify to the richness and originality of Mughal-era art in India.