Antique Islamic Mughal Indian Painted And Lacquered Hide Shield 18th Century India

Extremely rare antique 18th-century Islamic Mughal Indian painted and lacquered hide shield. It has a domed circular form and is superbly hand-painted. The shield features four emanating poppy plants on a gold lacquer ground between four stylized cypress trees pointing toward the central medallion. The medallion is finely painted with lobed petals and floral arabesques.

The rim is decorated with finely painted floral and foliage details throughout.

The back is heavily lacquered in plain black and is not completed as a shield.

REFERENCES:

A comparable shield was sold for GBP 37,250 at Sotheby's at the "Islamic Works of Art" auction on October 5, 2011, in London. Lot 293.

Please see the link below:

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2011/arts-of-the-islamic-world/lot.293.html

Currently, this shield is part of the collection at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. It is featured in the book "Symbols of Power and Beauty: The Collection Of The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia" on page 198.

We will provide the buyer with photocopies of the pages from the mentioned references together with a certificate of authenticity.

MEASUREMENTS: Diameter 45.5 cm (17.9 inches).

CONDITION: The shield is in good condition considering its age and shows age and use. The lacquered surface of the shield's exterior is covered with old varnish, which has turned brown over the centuries and obscured the vibrant red and green colors of the designs painted on the surface of the gold-lacquered background. The gold lacquer is still visible in several spots since the varnish was applied unevenly and irregularly with the paintbrush. Parts that weren't heavily painted with varnish still exposed the bright gold lacquer.

A similar situation occurred with old 17th—and 18th-century paintings, where the varnish, originally meant to protect the surface of the painting, turned dark after centuries, obscuring the original colors of the paint.

Some age wear, lacquer with blistering/bubbling, chips flecks, and cracks in the lacquer, as is often the case with over 200-year-old lacquered shields. Free of repairs or restoration.

PROVENANCE: Ex-private old Canadian collection of Islamic art, including antique arms and armor, formed in the 1980s.