Portrait of Emperor Aurangzeb, East India, Bengal, Murshidabad, early 19th century Gouache and gold on paper depicting the aged Emperor Aurangzeb kneeling on his gold-plated throne under the shelter of a canopy, a document in one hand, two followers behind him dressed in white, a morshal flycatcher resting on their right shoulder. The subjects are positioned in the center of a circular terrace surrounded by a red parapet. Sight size: 23.7 x 19.5 cm A few polychromatic shifts and small accidents, enlarged painting on the left, some repainting, notably of the emperor's hands, mounted on cardboard. Emperor Aurangzeb ruled the Mughal Empire from 1658 to 1707. Several portraits of the aged sovereign seated on the same gold-plated throne are known, such as the paintings IS.125-1953 and IS.235-1955 in London's Victoria and Albert Museum, the latter also attributed to the Murshidabad school. The formalism and hieraticism of both this imperial portrait and the following one (Lot 255) suggest that they belong to this school, which developed in eastern India in the early 18th century. A Portrait of the Emperor Awrangzeb, East India, Bengal, Murshidabad, early 19th century