Cameo portrait of Shah Jahan
Artist/designer unknown,
Possibly India or Pakistan Around 1630-1640
Sardonyx
Height 2.3 cm, Width 2 cm
Museum no. IS.14-1974

This oval cameo is a profile portrait of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r.1628–1658) in middle age. The anonymous craftsman has used the natural, layered characteristics of the sardonyx skilfully so that the turban, pearls and background are carved from the creamy white layer, while the thickest layer of brown has been used for the clothes and the thin, raised oval frame. A thinner layer of brown has been used for the emperor’s face. The model for the portrait was presumably a contemporary Mughal painting, but oddities of detail (notably the stiffness of the feather) may indicate that the cameo was made by a European at the Mughal court.

Source : V&A Museum