A Mughal Carved Sandstone Jali, India, circa 1625-50

Private collection, London, acquired before 1994;

Christie's, London, 26 May 2016, lot 15;

Where acquired by the present collector.

The present jali screen is carved in sandstone with an elegant, openwork lobed arch. The spandrels are enriched with finely carved iris blossoms, a motif closely associated with the naturalistic floral vocabulary that flourished under Mughal patronage during the reign of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58). The delicacy of the carving and the harmonious balance between solid and pierced surfaces exemplify the technical sophistication achieved by seventeenth-century Mughal craftsmen.