Persian Miniature Art: The Demotte Standing Youth, dated 1608 with Mughal Borders

Portrait of a standing youth, Persia, Isfahan, 17th century, on an album page with borders from the Farhang-i Jahangiri, Mughal, A.D.1608
gouache with gold on paper, laid down on an album page with borders of cream paper finely decorated with animals and vegetation in gold, reverse with leaves from a manuscript of Persian poetry adhered to album page
The borders of this miniature are from a Mughal manuscript of the Farhang-i Jahangiri, a dictionary written by Jamal al-Din Husain Inju. This manuscript, dated c.1608, was used by the art dealer Demotte as a source of decorative Mughal borders which he put together with other Mughal and Persian miniatures with previously plain borders. It is thus probable that the present miniature was, at some stage, in the posession of Demotte.