Husain Ali Khan Entertaining His Brothers (The Sayyid Brothers) — Restored Mughal Wall Art

The shrewd imperial oligarch smoking the hookah and his brothers ran the Mughal government after the death of Emperor Alamgir in 1707 until the rise of Emperor Muhammad Shah in 1719. They were ruthless, self-serving kingmakers who caused the assassinations and accessions of six different members of the royal family to the Mughal throne in Delhi. The two attendants behind him exchange a worried glance, and the rare use of a flat gray sky behind the white marble terrace suggests the artist’s mood about the future strength and prosperity of the empire.

India, Mughal Dynasty (1526-1756), c. 1712–19. Original medium: Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper.

Worth knowing: The man shown smoking a hookah is the Mughal imperial ruler.

Faithfully restored from museum archives and printed on premium canvas-textured fine art paper, framed and ready to hang.

• Enhanced matte paper framed poster
• Sizes: 12×16 in and 18×24 in
• Frame colors: Black, Red Oak, White
• Free U.S. shipping